


Mischief

by Dragonflywhisperer568



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Eventual Romance, Fluff, Multi, Original Character(s), Post-Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Romance is not the main plot, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24945865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonflywhisperer568/pseuds/Dragonflywhisperer568
Summary: I was so excited to get my first Pokémon. I had been crossing off the days on my calendar for months! I had decided I was going to choose Treeko as my starter and I was hoping I would find a Growlithe, and maybe a Ralts that I could raise into a big strong Gallade, like my big brother's. But none of that mattered now. That life had been ripped away from me with a single decision.75 years after the Great Hero May quelled the anger of Kyogre and Groudon, the world has moved on with new tragedies, new laws, and a new way of life, but the same hate, greed, and evil exists as it always had.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue: The Guild System

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story every posted on here and I am so excited! Mischief has been in the works for a long time! I'm going to try to keep a regular update schedule, but life happens so I may not always stick to it faithfully. I love all reviews, both positive and critiques so don't be shy to say what you think!  
> Without further ado, please enjoy!

### Prologue: The Guild System

### 

“Thank you for joining us for the six o’clock news. Today is January 10th and we’re just waiting outside the World League Hall as the Champions make their final vote on the Guild Debate, and determine the fate of all upcoming trainers.” a reporter said dramatically into the camera. 

I remember sitting tensely, watching the television with my family as the Guild Debate came to its climax. This was the first time I really bothered paying attention to the news or the world around me in general. At nine years old, I knew all about the Guild Debate, having studied every aspect, read every article, and visited as many online forums as possible.

“The Guild Debate”, so it had been dubbed, began after an incident involving two underage trainers and a tournament going horribly wrong. A young boy, angry that he was about to lose a match, ordered his Rhydon to attack the other trainer. Its Stone Edge attack killed the girl almost instantly. The grizzly scene was unforgettable. Sometimes, even now, when I close my eyes I can see the small figure, mangled beyond recognition. In a fit of rage and sorrow, he girl’s Voltorb used an impossibly powerful Self Destruct. The resulting blast destroyed the entire stadium, leaving hundreds of people and Pokémon dead. Only a handful survived and thousands more that had been watching the tournament live were left scarred for life. The tragedy made international news, beginning a wave of discontent.

A few weeks later, a ten year old boy was horribly burned by a high level Charizard he received in a trade.

Not long after that, an Eevee was admitted into a Pokémon centre, half dead from malnutrition and neglect.

Just days afterward, a Ponyta was reported to have died from exhaustion after its trainer, a twelve-year-old child, forced it to sprint from Pewter City to Lavender Town without rest.

More and more stories arose of children being maimed or killed by Pokémon or Pokemon being mistreated by their young trainers. Each incident was highly publicized and before long the public cried out for change. It became the greatest controversy of our time. 

Many believed that children were not strong enough or mature enough to handle Pokémon and should kept away from the entirely. Others argued that Pokémon should be freed from human oppression completely and that all trainers should release their Pokémon. Others still, argued that their current way of life had worked for generations so there was no reason to change anything and that parents should just raise their children better. It seemed everyone, trainer or not, had an opinion. The debate went on for months, with no visible end. It was then that Professor Acacia proposed his Bill 133: The Guild System.

The idea was to turn every Pokémon Gym into a Pokémon Guild run by the Gym Leader. Every trainer would be registered under the guild depending on their place of residence and when a child turns ten, instead of acquiring a license and a Pokémon, they would have the choice to be registered in a guild. There they could learn how to properly raise, care for, and battle Pokémon using specially bred and trained Pokémon that would only attack a human when ordered to by the Guild Leader. When the child turns eighteen, they would be tested on their battling skills and general Pokémon knowledge. If they pass, they will receive a Junior PokéLicense and a Pokémon. With it, they may begin their journey to raising a strong team and collecting the eight gym badges. Once all eight are acquired, they will be registered as a fully-fledged guild trainer and be eligible to challenge the Elite Four and the region’s Champion. Acacia also proposed that the guild trainers take on missions and assignments to help better the world and maintain the guild. He suggested everything from bounty hunting to visiting schools and letting the children play with their Pokémon.

Soon after its proposal, all the international Champions and Professors met to discuss Bill 133 or the “Guild System”. Over the next year, it was written, debated, revised, and debated again until finally, it was complete and the final debate day was scheduled. All the Champions, Gym Leaders, and Professors gathered at the Inter-regional Champion Hall in the World League Stadium to cast a final vote.

My heart raced while I waited, more than anxious to know how it would end. I was only weeks away from turning ten and getting my first Pokémon, but this could change everything. If it passed, my journey would end before it even started and I’d have to wait another eight years to have a second chance.

The doors to the hall opened and the Champions, Professors, and Gym Leaders of all regions exited. Immediately, questions flew from the mouths of hundreds of journalists and reporters, making any single voice impossible to be heard. Blair, the International Champion, stepped forward and called for silence. As the roar of the crowd fell into a quiet hum, his icy blue eyes scanned the assembly of cameras.

“In a nearly unanimous vote… (I shifted nervously as he paused) …we have decided to pass Bill 133,” he said dramatically, then gave a toothy grin at the disbelieving silence. Suddenly, there was a huge uproar and an onslaught of questions. “Now, now!” he called over the noise to hush everyone. “I will call for questions in a minute. I want to say a few things first.”

The crowd was silent once again.

“Thank you. The PokéWorld is now going to be run on the Guild System proposed by my dear friend Professor Acacia, the world’s leading expert on Poké-Human relations,” he gestured to a tall, olive skinned man who smiled brightly at the cameras and gave a small wave. “This change,” the Champion spoke again, “will begin to take effect Monday morning.”

Unable to help themselves, the reports once again flew into a whirlwind of questions. It was Friday! How would the world change in only three days!?

“I wasn’t finished yet!” Blair called and the crowd once again settled itself. “Good.”

“Guild zones have been planned out for every nation and will be posted in every Pokemon Center, PokeMart, and Gym worldwide. Within the next week, every trainer and upcoming trainer must visit the gym of which zone their place of residence falls into to register under the guild. Upcoming trainers must be ten years of age by June 26th of this year in order to register with a guild. Also, I would like you all to note that, with a few exceptions, nothing much will change for already licenced trainers. There is no obligation to participate in guild activities or missions. Now, questions?”

“What will happen to all the Pokémon of the underage trainers?” one reporter asked.

“Underage trainers will be allowed to keep their Pokémon, but they will be required to attend the Guild Schools this autumn.”

Many questions were asked and answered, but I don’t really remember any of them. I just remember feeling numb, like my entire existence had just washed away.  
That one decision changed my whole life. I was so excited to get my first Pokémon. I had been crossing off the days on my calendar for months. I had decided I was going to choose Treeko as my starter and I was hoping I would find Growlithe and maybe a Ralts that I could raise into a big strong Gallade just like my big brother’s.

But none of that mattered now. That life had been ripped away from me.


	2. Chapter 1: Fated Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because it's a new story, I decided to post both the prologue and chapter 1 today! After today, I try to stick to a chapter a week schedule, but I make no promises lol  
> Please enjoy Chapter 1

When Bill 133 passed, riots and protests broke out worldwide, but they were dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Soon everything went back to relative normal and on my tenth birthday I was registered at the Petalburg City Guild and was to begin my training when the school started up that fall.

It’s been eight years since then and I’ve spent each moment learning and getting stronger, working toward the day I’ll finally receive my first Pokémon. It has been challenging and extremely frustrating at times, but greatly rewarding. I’ve learned more in these past years than I ever could have if I had blindly struck out on my own! And that's not to mention that the Guild grounds!

After the bill was passed, each gym put huge funds into constructing a separate building for their guilds--it became a bit of a friendly competition between the Gym Leaders. The champion was quick to get on board and offered a prize for the best guild. Along with paying for the construction of the winner, the Champion offered tickets for the entire guild to watch the annual International Pokémon Tournament. The Leaders really went all out after that!

Petalburg may not have won, but the guild is extremely beautiful with extravagant gardens and fountains and woods that have become my refuge over the past eight years. The Balance Guild, it was called. It was built a few kilometres north of the small lake in Petalburg and looked like something out of a fairy tale! The beautiful, nine story mansion’s exterior walls were made of white marble. Lush vines now grow up the side of the building, framing the large, ornate mahogany doors that lead into a great Entrance Hall full of pieces of artwork, artifacts, and antique furniture.

Just off the right of the Entrance Hall was a large Dining Hall with roof high windows draped in deep emerald velvet curtains. On the left of the Entrance Hall was another grand door that led to a dual-level library full of thousands of books. The Guild also had a spacious, elegantly designed Ballroom and a large medical wing for both people and Pokémon. All around the pristine building, extensive gardens and forests serve as a must-see tourist attraction, a safe haven for Pokémon, and great place to relax or study. Behind the school, the Petalburg Woods have remained largely untouched except for the large dojo, where students learn how to battle or guild members can challenge each other. It all made for a sort of paradise where wilderness meets sophistication. Looking back on it all--even though I was furious when the Guild System passed--I wouldn’t change a thing. It was in these beautiful halls that I met my best friends, my mentor, and became the person I am today. Before the Guild, I had always been a bit of a loner, preferring the company of my family’s Skitty and Absol or even my mother’s strangely black Furfrou over people. I didn’t have friends that weren’t my siblings or their Pokémon. But that changed quickly after I entered the guild.

* * *

It was the first day of class and I had spent most of the previous night crying and trying not to throw up. I didn’t want to be there and was furious that my parents made me go so I spent the morning procrastinating (my mum says pouting) in the gardens where I had befriended a wild Pidgey. I lost track of time playing with him and before I knew it, my hour of peace had slipped away from me.

I was startled as I heard the bell chime for the beginning of class. Panicking, I rushed toward the school, but I was a great distance into the gardens, further than anyone else usually went, save the groundkeepers. When I finally reached the Guild, I knew there was no chance of getting into the front doors unnoticed. Frustrated and nearly in tears again, I began walking around to the side of the school to where I knew there was a side entrance into the library. The librarian was a family friend and I hoped she’d give me a break and let me pass unhindered.

As I reached the edge of the building, I heard a commotion around the corner. Curious, I peeked around to see seven boys surrounding a very small girl. Her platinum hair was a mess and her grey eyes wild. She had a nasty cut on her swollen right cheek and bloodied knees. The apparent leader of the gang laughed as he held up a hand and the group stopped advancing. I wondered for a moment if he really was the leader; though he was larger than me, he was far shorter than the others and extremely scrawny, but his eyes really did make up for it. They were icy, blue-grey orbs that shone with a hideous malice. He reminded me of a malnourished Raticate. At his heel stood a menacing-looking Houndour.

“Leave me alone!” the girl squeaked.

“What’re you gonna do about it pipsqueak?” he sneered as he gave her a shove. She fell backward, landing on her butt with a whimper. “Not so tough without your Growlithe to hide behind, are you?” The six other boys laughed. The Houndour barked his approval. Planting a foot on the younger girl’s chest, the leader forced her backward and pinned her down. “Pathetic,” he spat, standing over her, slowly increasing the pressure on her chest.

The group of boys cheered him on as the tiny girl under him gasped for breath and fought to gain some relief from his foot. She blindly groped at anything she could reach -- grass, roots, feet -- to try and pull herself free, but she had no hope of escape.

“Pin her arms,” the leader ordered after watching her struggle for a few seconds. Two boys moved to comply, forcing her arms out with their feet. Once they were solidly pinned to the ground, a sickening smile spread over the leader’s face.

“Houndour,” he said. The Pokémon looked up at him. “Set fire to her hands.”

Unable to watch any longer, I reacted. I ran into the circle of bullies and shoved the boy as hard as I could. He stumbled back, tripping on his Pokémon and tumbling into one of the other boys, knocking them both over. The rest of the group scurried to help their fallen leader while he yelled curses at them. In the confusion, I yanked to girl to her feet.

“You okay,” I asked and she nodded. “Good. We should run!” The boys were sorting themselves out and were thoroughly enraged. We turned and took off hoping to get a head start. The leader kicked the already cowering Houndour. It yelped and scrambled away from its trainer. I know I shouldn’t have, but I was stopped. The girl kept running.

“You can’t treat your Pokémon that way!” I yelled indignantly. I had never before seen someone hit a Pokémon.

The boy whirled around and advanced on me. “I can do whatever I want with it—it’s my property.”

I realized my stupidity and tried to run again, but it was already too late. The boy was close enough that he lunged forward and grabbed me by the hair, yanking me back. I tried to pull free, but he was a lot stronger than me.

“You two,” the leader said, pointing at two of his thugs, “I wasn’t done with the other one!” Immediately, they ran after the girl who had disappeared around the corner.

“Houndour, make sure those idiots are successful or you’ll regret it.” The dog flinched again and took off after them.

“In the meantime,” he said, turning to me, “you can take her place.” His sadistic smile unnerved me, but I met his eyes and glared back. His grip had loosened and once again tried to pull free. I was successful this time and tried to run, but the other boys quickly encircled us, cutting off my escape. I turned around and readied myself for a fight—just like my brother's Gallade had taught me.

The leader came charging at me like a blind Ryhorn, clumsy, easy to dodge, and stupid in his rage. Before he could get too close again, I moved out of the way and delivered a swift kick to his back, throwing him off balance and crashing him into his two friends.

Cursing me and each other, they untangled themselves and stood up. Blind Ryhorn looked me in the eye. Embarrassed hatred had replaced his amused sadism. I prepared myself for another attack, but before I knew what was happening, one of the lackeys had grabbed me from behind. Fear and panic shot through me. Fortunately, my opponent’s ego was bigger than his brains. He scolded the other boy loudly.

“Let her go!” he commanded. “When I shatter her bones, I’ll do it without a worthless piece of garbage like yourself holding her down!” The boy stepped away from me and returned to his place at the edge of the circle. I was safe for now, but I remained wary of another attack from behind.

Watching the leader now was like watching a cumbersome Ryhorn evolve into a calculating Rydon. His stance changed. Instead of blindly charging, he balled his fists and began swinging. I dodged the best I could, but the small circle that trapped me limited my movements, making evasion nearly impossible. I had taken a defensive stance that Gallade had shown me. In such small quarters, I was already at a disadvantage but in a direct fight I was no match for the larger boy. Despite this, I was holding my own well enough. A few shots made it through my defense, but only grazed my arms or shoulders.

I was entirely focused on dodging and blocking and I failed to pay attention to my feet. My foot caught on a protruding root and I stumbled. The mistake opened my guard and my opponent landed a heavy blow to my shoulder, knocking me down and possibly cracking my collar bone. My arm went numb and useless.

It seemed he was tiring of playing with me because before I could move, he yelled, “Hold her down!”

A spark of panic flooded through me again. Two of the thugs stepped on my wrists, effectively pinning me to the ground as they had done to the other girl. The leader’s sadistic grin returned as he looked down at me.

“I thought you didn’t need help from a group of worthless mutts,” I spat and his smirk was replaced with a scowl. My remark earned me a hard kick in the ribs that left me gasping. “Coward,” I muttered through clenched teeth. Another kick. And another. I cried out and his goonies cheered him on.

“Hmmm,” he hummed, closing his eyes for a second. “You have such a pretty voice when you squeal. Maybe I’ll have to extract a few more from you.”

It was like ice shot through me-I was scared before, but some new terror filled me, even if I couldn't name what it was. The boy knelt down in front of me and grabbed my face. I glared fiercely at him, despite my pain.   
“I really do like blondes, even if you’re a bit young,” He crooned as he twirled a piece of my golden hair between his fingers. I snapped at his hand with my teeth, just barely grazing his skin. Releasing my face, he delivered a stinging slap. Spots danced in my vision and my head felt foggy.

Suddenly, my eyes widened as I felt his hand force itself between my legs. I struck out, kicking him as hard as I could. As he fell backward, his remaining mutts pinned down my legs. He jumped to his feet and was about to land a fourth kick that would surely would have broken a few ribs, if they weren’t broken already. I braced myself the best I could, but instead of feeling a sharp blow, I heard the undeniable cry of a Pokémon and a heavy thud. I opened my eyes to see my abusers lying on their backs with an Umbreon standing on the leader’s chest. A senior student stood over them, a fierce blaze in his eyes. The small girl from earlier stood behind him, carrying an unconscious Houndour.

“What d’you think you’re doing, you little shits?” he growled. The four boys not being pinned by the Umbreon scrambled to their feet and began to run. “Eve, Mean Look!”

The Umbreon sprang off her captive’s chest and jumped in front of the fleeing boys. Her fierce glare and threatening snarl make them freeze in fear.

“You’re-you're not allowed to use Pokémon against people!” the leader screamed hysterically as he got to his feet. “I’ll have you expelled for this!”

“See if I give a damn,” the senior snapped, gently pulling me to my feet. “If I get expelled, you’ll be walking out the door with me. Now take your pup and scram. And don’t let me see you behaving in such a way again.”

Giving me and the senior a look of pure malice, the boy recalled his Pokémon in a flash of red, turned tail, and ran as fast as he could right past his paralyzed friends, ignoring their cries for help.

“Let ‘em go, Eve,” the older student said. The Umbreon stood up straight and returned to her master’s side with a satisfied grin. Turning to me, his face softened into a comforting smile. “You alright?” he asked. I nodded shyly, but I was obviously lying. I was gripping my side and trying to breath in a way that didn’t hurt. Nodding hurt. A lot.

“Like hell you are,” he scowled in the direction the boys fled. He returned his glance to me. He then smiled approvingly, “but you’re tough, so at least you’re respectable for such a little kid.”

I tried to glare at him, but his smile was infectious and I soon returned it weakly.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Scout,” I said irritably, my scowl returning. “And I am not a kid.”

The older boy laughed at the attitude I kept despite the merciless beating I had just received. “Of course you’re not. I’m Light and this is Anne.” He gestured to the tiny girl, who gave a shy wave. I tried to wave back, but the action sent a wave of pain through my body and I gasped again. Which also hurt a lot.

“Come on, kid. We need to take you to the guild doctor.”

I was going into shock and was in too much pain to argue, so I simply made a noise of acknowledgement and followed Light as he led me through the side library door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s the end of Chapter 1! I hope you all enjoyed it!  
> Leave a review if you feel like it and I’ll see you all soon with Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 2: The Hospital Wing

When we arrived at the hospital wing I was rushed onto a small room as Anne was quickly rushed into another and I could hear Light talking to a nurse. Inside my room a Luxray was sitting on a table beside a small screen. It was wearing some sort of headset that wrapped around its head and ears and held two small spheres against its forehead. It grunted a greeting at me. I grunted in return. My whole body felt heavy and sore and speaking seemed impossible, but ignoring the creature would be rude.

I was sat on the exam bed and covered in warm blankets. The nurse attached me to various machines and took various readings; she told me what she was doing as she went, but I wasn’t listening. She left, saying something about being seen soon. A doctor appeared in minutes. She seemed so old to me at the time, but she must have been only nineteen or twenty. She was short and delicate looking, but held herself with absolute confidence and grace.

“Hi, Scout,” she said softly. “I’m Doctor Lee. I’m going to have Matt here look you over to check for any broken bones and internal damage. The device on his head will show us exactly what he sees, which will be projected onto the screen here. I like to call it a cat scan.”

I stared blankly. I gave a small nod—or at least I intended to.

Dr. Lee looked at me with growing concern. “Matt, do your thing.”

The screen lit up and she turned to examine it, giving her Luxray commands like “Move up” and “Focus on the left clavicle”. She scribbled notes on a clipboard as she went. Finally, she signalled the Luxray to release and turned to me with a scowl. Looking down at her notes, she listed, “Dislocated left sternoclavicular joint, fractured and broken ribs, bruising on internal organs…What could have done this sort of damage?” Something made me think she already had a pretty good idea.

“I-I had a run-in with, with…a wild Hitmonlee,” I lied, straining to speak. I wasn’t really sure why at the time…it just felt like a bad idea to say what really happened.

"A wild Hitmonlee?" she questioned with the raise of an eyebrow. I nodded.

Her strange, grey-green eyes bore into me and I had to look away. I thought maybe she guessed I was lying, but must have decided she believed me because she didn’t question me any further. Instead, she called to a Gardevior that suddenly appeared in the middle of the room and looked at its master.

“Hi, Eva,” Dr. Lee greeted the Pokémon with a smile. “Would you please use Heal Pulse on Scout here?”

The Gardevior nodded and turned to me. Closing her eyes, she raised her arms and her skirt flared out. A soft light emanated from her entire being. As it hit me, relief began washing through my aching body. She was simultaneously warming me up while soothing my wounds. I felt more relaxed than I ever had been and was beginning to feel drowsy.  
That’s odd…Heal Pulse has never made me tired before…I vaguely thought to myself. Who knew hospital these check-up bed things could be so comfy…? Somehow, I was laying down, but I didn’t recall moving.

* * *

The next time my eyes opened, I was lying on a comfy bed in a room that had white curtains for walls. I was confused for a moment until I remembered where I was. I sat up and looked around. A chair with a small pile of papers sitting on it was beside my bed. On the wall behind me an open window allowed the late afternoon sun into the room. I could hear an Altaria singing in the distance, its melodic cry nearly lolling me back to sleep. As I was about to nod off, the curtains behind the chair shifted and a head popped in, snapping me back to complete consciousness.

“Hello, Scout. How’re you feeling?” the friendly voice of Dr. Lee chimed as she fully entered the room.

“Pretty good,” I replied, realizing that though I was a little stiff, I felt no pain.

“Eva tends to do a great job at healing—and putting people to sleep,” she smiled as she said the last part. “Did you like the Hypnosis I taught her to mix in with her Heal Pulse?” She moved the papers to the small nightstand and sat in the chair.

I looked at her like she was crazy. “Pokémon can’t use two moves at once!” I accused.

“Pokémon can do a lot more than we know,” she said simply. “Though I believe I am one of the few trainers too have successfully taught this technique. It requires a huge amount of patience and trust with your Pokémon since it is very stressful on their bodies. Eva only does in on patients she feels particularly need it and I never ask her to do it. Which brings me to my next point: Those were quite the injuries. How did you acquire them?”

I felt my pulse jump and I hesitated for a moment before saying, “I had a run-in with a wild Hitmonlee.”

She once again fixed me in her intense grey-green stare. “You and I both know you’re lying about that. I’ve seen run-ins with both wild and tame Hitmonlee—believe me, you probably wouldn’t have made it to my office.” She leaned forward, “My only question is why lie?”

“I'm not!” I insisted weakly, unable to meet her eyes. I couldn’t say what actually happened; that would become a huge disaster for everyone involved, but I still felt exceedingly guilty for lying to someone so kind.

“I know bruises from human hands and feet when I see them,” she sighed.

I stayed silent. I just wanted her to let it go.

“Well,” she said, standing up, “I really hope whoever you’re protecting is worth it.”

I stared at my hands, still saying nothing.

Dr. Lee sighed and I looked up. “I want you to stay here for the night. Your wounds should be fully healed by morning and you may return to class. I’ll send a Pidgey to your parents letting them know what happened and have your roommate bring you some pyjamas.”

I nodded and mumbled a thank you. With a small smile, she left.

Outside the curtains, I heard a familiar voice call cheerfully, “Hello Dr. Lee! You’re looking radiant as ever."

“And you’re as charming as ever, Light,” Dr. Lee answered in amusement.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

“It’ll be a few more days before she’s back at 100%, but definitely better than when you brought her in. Light, I’m serious,” her voice became a lot quieter and I had to strain to hear, “do you have any idea what happened?”

“I have no idea. Anne came running saying that someone needed help and she was like that when we found her,” Light lied easily.

“Well maybe you can ask her about it? She just keeps telling me she was attacked by a wild Hitmonlee,” Dr. Lee whispered.

A pause.

“I can try, but I don’t know the kid either. I doubt she’ll talk to me,” Light murmured back.

“Just try—you may be less intimidating than a doctor.”

“Okay,” he replied. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you.”

Light’s head then popped through the curtains and his Umbreon charged into the room and jumped up onto my bed. The senior followed his Pokémon into the room, tripping over his own feet as he did so. I tried not to giggle as I buried my hands in the Eeveelution’s soft fur.

“Hey kid,” he greeted happily, seemingly unfazed by both his own clumsiness and blatantly lying to Dr. Lee.

“My name’s Scout,” I corrected, annoyed at being called “kid”.

“So you’ve said,” he said, plopping himself dramatically into the chair beside me. I scowled. He grinned.

“I figured I should come and thank you.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Well, you didn’t exactly tell the truth with what happened yesterday,” he replied quietly. “If you had given account to what really happened, that shithead and his buddies would have been expelled for sure, but there’s a high I chance I would have been as well,” he continued. “Not that I care much for this hell-hole, but I could have lost Eve forever.”

“Umbreeeon,” Eve cried gratefully and rubbed her head against my knee.

“I don’t know why I lied,” I said, looking down in shame. Eve bumped her head against my face and I couldn’t help but smile. “I just felt like I shouldn’t say what actually happened…I don’t normally lie…” My smile dropped again.

Light smiled. “Don’t feel too bad, kid. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t lied.”

I didn’t say anything. I felt sick.

“I don’t think she did believe me,” I said, “she told me she knew I was lying…I don’t know why she didn’t get me in trouble…”

Light shrugged. "There could be a lot of reasons a kid comes in battered to hell. And most of them pretty delicate matters-she just doesn't want to push too much all at once."  
We sat in silence while I thought about that.

"Also," Light added teasingly, "you probably wouldn’t have survived a beating from a wild Hitmonlee. But that would have been a good one if you had picked a better suited Pokémon!”

“I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly!” I argued defensively, “it was the only Pokémon I could think of in the moment that kicks.”

“Don’t get upset,” he chuckled, “I’m only saying your technique needs a bit of work. Your instincts are fine. You’ll make a great trainer one day.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly, once again looking at the Pokémon on my lap.

“Anyways,” he said, standing up, “I better go. I’ve got a night class dealing with ghost Pokémon and I have to give the Doc some bull about you not talking to me. Come on Eve.”

I said goodbye to the Senior and his Umbreon and as soon as the left I felt extremely lonely. At least it wasn’t long until Anne came in, carrying a pair of my comfiest pyjamas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a short chapter, now that I look back on it…Oh well!  
> I love hearing from you guys so please leave a review! I’m open to questions, conversations, a simple “good job”, or criticisms.  
> I’ll see you in the near future with Chapter 3: Exile


	4. Chapter 3 - Exile

I greeted Anne when she came in.

“Hi,” she responded quietly, handing me my pyjamas. “I was—I was asked to bring these to you.”

“Thanks. Are…you my roommate?”

“I guess so,” she said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

We sat in awkward silence.

“Um,” she spoke again, “thanks…for yesterday. And for not getting Light kicked out of school.”

“No problem,” I shrugged, not really sure what else to say.

“Kyle hates my family,” she said. I guess she thought she owed me an explanation. “Growlithe and I had to chase him away from our Tauros herd a couple weeks ago and I guess he was getting revenge…his whole family is bullies.”

“Well I don’t like bullies very much,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “Those jerks deserved more than a Mean Look.”

For the first time Anne met my eyes, a small smile on her face. That first smile was shy and restrained, but we both knew we would become good friends.

And Anne and I did become fast friends after “The Incident” as we liked to call it. As I got to know her better, I discovered she was the only daughter of a rich PokéRanch owner that lived near Odale town. She was quiet and reserved at first, but fiery and sarcastic underneath that shy shell.

I eventually gained the nerve to ask her about Light, who checked in on us regularly. She explained that he was the son of a valuable business partner of her father. She said he spent a lot of time at the ranch to avoid his house so he had become a bit of a big brother to her.

In the weeks following the attack, we hoped that the scare Light and Eve had given Kyle might convince him to leave us alone. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Though with Light hovering around, either keeping a close eye on us or sending one of his Pokémon whenever he couldn’t, Kyle’s attacks had to become infinitely more subtle. It was usually petty name-calling behind our backs or “accidentally” tripping one of us in the halls -- nothing that he could actually get into trouble for doing. It was frustrating and sometimes I wanted to really tell what happened on that first day of school, but knowing what would happen to Light always stopped me.

Before we knew it, the year drew to a close and summer vacation began. Anne and I stayed in touch through the summer, sending Pidgey back and forth and I even spent a week at her family’s ranch, where we saw Light often. Since he had graduated, Anne’s father had hired him as a ranch hand for the summer.

Our second year passed as unremarkably as the first, though without Light’s constant guard, Kyle grew much bolder and struck out a lot more overtly. The name-calling became louder and more brutal and the occasional physical entanglements became more aggressive.

We saw Eve or one of Light’s other Pokémon more often that year than we saw him, but he made his presence known often enough to keep us safe from another attack like the one at the beginning of our first year.

Our second year melded into our third year and third into fourth. We lost all wariness of Kyle and his small gang of thugs. It had been three years since The Incident and we decided that he was nothing more than a bully and bullies are best to be ignored. Light seemed to think otherwise, despite our reassurances, and continued to watch over us as often as he could get away with and visited us every time he came home from missions. I found the hovering annoying, but I loved his stories of the world and the people or Pokémon he had met.

His worry was shown to be worthwhile the day our Battle Theory professor openly complimented me in front of the class, stating that I held the highest grade of any of his classes in the past. Somehow it got around the school as this teacher never gave compliments and most students hated him.

During lunch hour that day, Anne and I were walking to our usual table near the back of the hall, both carrying platters of food. I was slightly ahead and had turned to say something to her when I ran into someone.

I grunted as we both stumbled back, our lunches clattering to the ground. “I’m so sorry!” I said before I had even looked to see who I had hit.

“Well, if it isn’t Pipsqueak and the Teacher’s Pet,” an all too familiar voice drawled.

I groaned. “And here I thought we might have a peaceful meal.”

Anne snorted. “When have we ever been able to have a peaceful anything?”

“So, tell me, Pet,” Kyle said conversationally, “is it true that you’re fucking the professor to get better grades? You’re obviously not good enough to get them with your brain alone.”  
I replied with false sympathy, “Oh, are you worried daddy will be upset that you didn’t have the highest grade? You had to take that class twice, right?”

The change in his demeanor was instant. His mocking smile disappeared and was replaced with deep rage. “Shut up. You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he snarled quietly. The Houndour that was ever present at his feet let out a low growl.

“Well,” I slightly turned to Anne, “it appears I struck something pretty close to the truth.”

“I said shut up!” he yelled, drawing the attention of several students around us.

“What’ll you do if I don’t?” I sneered back. “Get your mutts to pin me down ‘cuz you’re too weak to do it yourself?” I probably shouldn’t have been taunting him, but I was tired of playing his game and the sight of Light leaning against the wall not far from us boosted my confidence.

Kyle growled.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to be egging him on like that?” Anne whispered in my ear, voicing my own thoughts, but at this pointed I wanted him gone and saw this situation as an opportunity.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it,” I replied loud enough for the bully and our small crowd to hear. “He’s too much of a coward to so much as touch us in a public place like this—too many witnesses. He likes to pick on little girls when there’s no one around to fight back!”

I could see the rage building higher in his icy eyes. “You’re going to eat those words,” he snarled.

“I doubt that,” I replied, looking at Light who was grinning proudly.

Kyle snapped and lunged, but before he could reach me, there was a body standing between us. Her hand held a firm grip on the boy’s head, stopping him in his tracks. A Carbink hovered at her side. We were both completely shocked. I hadn’t expected interference.

This girl was a head taller than Kyle and significantly larger. She wasn’t overweight by any means, but she certainly wasn’t small.

Houndour barked like crazy, but didn’t dare attack.

“Woah there. What do you think you’re doing? You think that’s acceptable?” she scolded, ignoring the yapping fire pup.

Kyle shoved her hand off his head. “Get your filthy, fat hand off of me!” he spat, but sounded nervous.

The older girl’s left eye twitched from the comment before she chuckled darkly. The Carbink moved cautiously away from her, shaking its small head in an attempt to warn the boy. Houndour took the warning and suddenly fell silent as he also backed away, looking nervous.

The girl’s voice became lethally serious. “The girl’s right—there are a lot of witnesses, including me and the guy ready to wring your neck over there.”

When I looked up, it was true. Light had pushed himself off the wall and was intently watching the scene unfold. The look in his eye was reminiscent of the first time I had seen him. His Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder, also glaring at the boy.

The girl was still speaking, drawing back my attention. “Now I am only going to say this once, so try to listen carefully you little prick: being called fat really pisses me off and before I stop being nice, I want you to turn around and walk away.”

The boy, looking between her and Light, visibly gulped.

“Go on,” she commanded and stood aside. He hesitated for a second, then scurried around us, his lackeys following close behind.

The Houndour looked between the girl and his master several times before running after him. The girl’s glare followed them the whole way. I looked back to where Light was to see him grinning with approval before walking out of the dining hall, Eve on his heels and his Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

The girl then fixed us in a bright smile. “I’m Enkay!” she said happily before pointing at her Carbink, “and this is Miro.”

“Oh!” I said, a little startled by her sudden change in attitude, “I’m Scout and--and this is Anne. And, um, thanks, by the way.”

Enkay laughed loudly, drawing a few more stares. “Don’t mention it! You’re both in my dorm, so I figured we should stick together.” She threw her arms out dramatically, and pulled us into a tight hug.

I looked at Anne, who just shrugged. There are three separate dorms that guild members are split into upon registration: Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald. Ruby and Sapphire are for students and Emerald is for graduated guild members. Anne and I were both in the Sapphire Dorm, but though I felt bad about it, I had never seen Enkay around before. The actual bedrooms where separated by age and gender and Anne and I spent almost no time in the common area, so we didn’t really know many of the other Sapphires.

“Besides,” Enkay was speaking again, “I hate bullies.”

“Caaar!” Miro agreed.

“Mind if I join you two for lunch?” she asked cheerfully. I looked at Anne, who shrugged again. I turned back to the older girl.

“Uh…sure,” I said. It’s not like I could refuse her after she stopped Kyle the way she had.

* * *

A few nights after our second big encounter with Kyle, Anne and I were walking through the Sapphire Common Room to our dorm when a familiar voice called over the quiet buzz of the other conversations.

“Anne! Scout!” Enkay came barreling toward us, drawing the attention of the room. She certainly had a knack for doing that. It seemed that with her, it was always all or nothing.

“Hey,” I greeted, slightly uncomfortable from everyone’s stares. Fortunately, they all turned back to their previous engagements after seeing it was just Enkay making a racket again.

“Hi?” Anne replied hesitantly, seeing the other girl’s facial expression; it was simultaneously excited and angry.

“You remember the little prick who attacked you guys at lunch the other day?”

We both nodded.

“Just dropped some eaves and got news that he’s going to be expelled,” she said, the eerie grin once again appearing on her face. Anne and I were stunned.

“How? Why!?” I asked as my words returned to me.

Given the extreme consequences to being expelled, it took a fair amount for such a thing to actually happen. First, there had to be a witness to what the student did. Next, there would be a trial ruled by the Dorm Heads. If deemed guilty, the Guild Leader must consult with the other Guild Leaders who would then come to a decision on whether or not the child deserved to be expelled. Once expelled, the child would forever be marked and never be allowed to keep Pokémon. They were very clear about the entire process on our orientation day. Surely the scene we caused in the dining hall wouldn’t have been enough?

Enkay’s dark smile dropped and she looked around the crowded room, before passing us a key with a room number written on top. “Meet me in my room in ten. I have to go take care of something. And don’t worry about my roommate; she’s probably off screwing someone somewhere.”

We both gave uncomfortable nods and made our way to the stair well.

The rooms were divided rather simply: the boys’ rooms were on the right side of the Sapphire Dorm, while the girls’ rooms are on the left. The rooms themselves are split into floors, first-years on the ground floor, second-years on the second floor, third-years on the third floor, etc. Usually, each student had a single roommate, though on occasion there would be a third roommate if there weren’t enough rooms for their year. Much to our dismay, Enkay’s room was on the seventh floor -- three years older than us. Fortunately, being the first door in the hall, the room was easy to find.

Anne unlocked the door and we were greeted by Enkay’s Carbink, an innocent looking Umbreon that had blue circles on its fur instead of yellow, and an angry looking Sylveon that jumped off the bed and advanced on us, growling threateningly.

“Car! Carbink bink car!” Miro frantically placed itself in the Sylveon’s path. It snorted and retreated back to the bed, but never took its eyes off of us.

Anne immediately made a b-line for the bed and flopped down between the Sylveon and Umbreon. Apparently this was the wrong move because Sylveon let out and angry growl, which Anne returned, unfazed. The fairy Eeveelution pinned its ears back and glared. The clueless Umbreon stared between the two with huge eyes.

“You’re beautiful!” I said, walking over to the Umbreon. The Sylveon shifted her glare to me.

“I’ve never seen a shiny. No wonder his friend is protective,” Anne said, also petting him.

While we waited for Enkay, I curiously explored the room. There were two beds, as would be expected, but the areas around them could not be more different. The one closest to the door was perfectly made up with frilly pink pillows and comforters and around it were posters of various celebrities (mostly male and mostly shirtless). The shelves were full of shoes and jewelry boxes and make-up kits. I guessed this was the roommate’s half of the room.

Enkay’s half of the room was much more to my liking. The unmade bed had mismatch blankets and sheets that were covered in Pokémon fur. I looked carefully over the shelves that were cluttered with trinkets and PokéDolls. One shelf in particular drew my attention; it lacked the usual clutter and was instead very neatly organized.

“Hey, Anne, come’ere,” I called in awe. With a huff she got to her feet to see what I was looking at. She gasped and I nodded. Miro looked over our shoulders and made a soft cooing sound.

In front of us sat four open badge cases, three of which were full, but the fourth had three empty spots. I tentatively reached up and grabbed one case off the shelf, then the wall around the shelves caught my eye. It was full of pictures from different regions with different people and Pokémon. In all of them, a younger Enkay was smiling the very same smile we had become familiar with in the past few days, but she seemed somehow…happier in the pictures.

Just then, the door burst open and Enkay stepped in. Her Pokémon greeted her happily. “Hello friends! So glad you didn’t get lost!” she exclaimed before noticing what I held in my hands. I thought I saw her smile falter, but it was only for a second before her signature grin was back. “Looks like you found my badges!” she said happily.

“They’re yours!?” Anne and I asked in shock.

“Yup!” she replied walking over to me. “That one’s from Johto,” she said, motioning to the case in my hands. “The one beside it’s from Kanto and I’m sure you recognise the Hoenn badges.”

We both nodded.

“What about that one,” Anne asked, pointing to the unfinished one.

“That one’s from Kalos,” she explained. “That’s where I was before the Guild Bill passed. I was actually born there, but we moved to Hoenn when I was nine. When I turned ten, my parents transferred Miro to me and I started collecting badges. I wanted to stay in Kalos once I got all the badges there, but because my parents live in Hoenn, I got called back here.”

Again, I could have sworn her smile faded.

“But!” she suddenly burst out, “that’s another story for another time! Right now I have tea to spill on Kyle.”

I replaced the badges back on the shelf and we all sat on the bed. Enkay picked up the still glaring Sylveon and placed it in her lap. “Don’t mind this lump,” she said to us. “Sylka is a bit standoffish at first, but she’ll warm up.”

I chuckled and asked about the Umbreon.

“Oh, that’s Dario,” she answered. “He just loves everybody.” As though to prove her point, the black and blue fox hopped into Anne’s lap and laid down with a content purr. Sylka’s glare at Anne intensified.

“Now,” I said eagerly, “what’s this about Kyle?”

“Well,” Enkay began, “you of course remember the dining hall incident? Afterword, it seems he went out into the woods behind the guild to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, a wild Skitty stumbled across his path. In his rage he beat the poor thing with a stick. It was nearly dead when one of his thugs had the guts to step in.”

I gasped in horror and Anne looked like she was going to be sick. _How could anyone do such a thing!?_ I thought, disgusted.

“The boy grabbed the Skitty and ran to the school, saving its life,” she continued. “Needless to say, the professors were not too happy and managed to pry out of the terrified boy what had really happened. Word is the trial began the following morning and it was decided this afternoon that Kyle was to be expelled.”

“What about the Skitty? Is it…”

“It’s alive,” Enkay answered Anne’s unfinished question. “I’m sure it’ll be just fine. Dr. Lee has it and is taking care of it.”

The news greatly lightened my heart and an idea popped into my head. “Let’s go see how it’s doing!”

Anne immediately agreed and we all got up. Enkay walked us to the door.

“I’m going to hang here, but feel free to come by whenever you want,” she said as we left, “I’m almost always here when I’m not in class.”

Anne and I happily said we would before rushing off to the hospital wing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took so long to post this chapter! Life got busy and I totally forgot! I really will try keep a regular posting schedule ^_^'
> 
> Going forward, I am going to need some OCs! If you guys would like, you can summit a character profile in the comments. I'll need a description, age, short bio, pokemon (no shinys or legendaries). You may just seen your character show up later in the story! (I'll also need villains)
> 
> I'll see you next week with Chapter 4: Exam Day One


	5. Chapter 4 - Exam Day 1

_Trainer and Pokémon looked out over the lands as they fell into chaos. The sky had turned black from smoke released by the vengeful volcano and the dark sea rebelled against it with an angry roar. Vicious torrents of freezing rain stung the trainer’s skin. Water and blood streamed down her face, nearly blinding her, but she ignored the pain. Leaning further into the soaked feathers beneath her, she began to say something to the Pidgeot, but her voice sounded garbled--like she was underwater or very far away. Bravely surging on, the bird Pokémon struggled in the fierce wind that threatened to cast them both out of the sky. Suddenly, a loud screech filled the air, causing rider and Pokémon to cringe. Appearing as though formed from the smoke itself, a Staraptor launched itself at the pair, talons extended._

* * *

My eyes shot open and I launched upright, looking around my room in a panic. Everything seemed in place; the early sunrise was filtering through my window and Anne’s soft snores could be heard coming from her bed. I let out a sigh of relief and laid back down, closing my eyes once more. The horrific dream faded into the far reaches of my mind and my body slowly relaxed.

The next time I opened my eyes, I recoiled with a yelp of shock, smacking my head on the shelf above my bed. Anne was straddling my legs, her mischievous gray eyes stared at me from no more than a foot away from my face.

Rubbing my head, I scowled. “Can’t you wake me up like a normal person and shake my shoulder or something,” I grumbled tiredly.

“Nope!” she said with a grin and hopped off me. I grumbled something about the roommate agreement we had made up in our third year, but she just rolled her eyes and took a long, intentional, irritatingly loud sip of her coffee.

“What’s got you so excited anyways?” I asked irritably. “You hate mornings.”

“You haven’t forgotten what today is, have you?”

I stared at her blankly.

“You’ll figure it out,” she said teasingly. “Any second now…”

“It’s exam day!” I said suddenly, throwing my blankets off in a panic.

“There you go!” she exclaimed with a roll of her eyes and handed me a mug of tea. I took a tentative sip and let out a sigh that released the tension from my body. Mostly. I couldn’t stop thinking about the upcoming exam; the more I tried to calm down, the more anxious I got.

The three-day exam would be run by a representative of the Pokémon League known as the “Test Master” (which sounded just a little too pompous in my opinion). It would consist of two parts: a written exam on the first day, followed by a battle tournament on the second and third days for those who passed. In order to graduate, students must succeed in both trials. Those who fail must undertake another year in the school before being able to challenge the exam the following year.

Over the past week, our grad class of forty-three had been drilled on how the exam would go. We were to meet in the Entrance Hall by exactly 8:45am. We would then be escorted to another room were the exam would be held. The scores would be posted in the entrance hall just before curfew at ten o’clock that night.

I was certain I would pass without an issue, but I still felt extremely underprepared. We would be tested on everything we had learned in the past eight years and there was no telling what questions might come up. We had been preparing for months.

That morning found most of the class buzzing with nervousness around the base of the large staircase that led to the upper floors. Anne and I sat on the lower steps, hardly speaking a word.

“Well aren’t you two bundles of energy this morning!” a loud voice called, causing both of us to jump. Before we could respond, Enkay heavily plopped herself down between us and pulled us both into her signature bone-crushing hug.

“I think you might suffocate them if you keep that up,” another voice said, full of amusement.

I looked up the best I could from where my face was being smooshed into Enkay’s breast. “Morning Light,” I said, feeling far more cheerful than I had been just minutes before. Anne also muttered something that sounded like it may have been a greeting, but it was muffled by our friend’s other breast, which she was too lazy to move away from.

“Morning Kid,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“How many times am I going to have to tell you to stop calling me “Kid”?” I asked, fully pushing myself from Enkay’s hold.

“I don’t know,” he quipped back. “How many more times are you going to ask before you just accept it?”

I scowled. “Dork.”

“Nerd.”

“Putz.”

“Alright you two, you’re both pretty. Now knock it off,” Enkay cut in. I stuck my tongue out. Light rolled his eyes, but continued to grin.

“What are you two doing here anyway?” I asked.

“Light and I wanted to wish you luck on your exams,” Enkay answered before Light could respond with whatever sarcastic comment rested on his tongue. I was about to thank them for thinking of us, but a shrill voice cut me off.

“Alrighty, children! May I have your attention?” the painfully loud, chipper, and infuriatingly patronizing voice called over the hum of conversation. We all looked up to see a woman dressed in a flashy pink pant-suit standing at the top of the staircase. “Thank you, my dearies! I am Madame Crystal, but you little ones can call me Chrissie.”

I immediately disliked her. And going by the look on Anne’s face, she didn’t think much of her either.

“If you little ducklings would be wonderful enough to follow me, I’ll lead you to where your little examies will be written!” she chirped and began descending the stairs. The crowd parted for her, most students holding a look of utter disbelief.

“Have fun,” Enkay muttered sympathetically as I groaned and Anne ruefully relinquished her comfortable spot at our friend’s side. We both stood up with sour looks on our face.

Light laughed and also gave us a sympathetic look. “Good luck, Kid.”

“I’m not a kid anymore,” I hissed as I followed the flamboyant pink lady.

The test master led us to a rarely used room in the far corner of the guild. It was much larger than most other classrooms and with its tiered seating, looked more like a theatre or large lecture hall. Before entering, we were told to line up in alphabetical order of our last names. This separated me from Anne and made me far more apprehensive than I was before.

I was sat next to a student from the Ruby Dorm (a single seat between us) who had a heavier build and a fluffy looking beard. He kind of reminded me of a werewolf. I remembered seeing him around over the years and he had even been in a few of my classes, but we had never really interacted. Though I think Anne had talked to him a few times. He had a strange name that I should have remembered, but it slipped my mind in that moment.

I didn’t really have time to ponder it. The annoying pink lady had begun speaking again, her squeaky voice making me tenser than ever. I just wished she’d shut up. “Good morning children!” she greeted us a second time. I groaned quietly and dropped my head into my hands, silently begging her to stop talking. The Ruby boy chuckled at me.

“Today is a very special day for you!” she said slowly, placing her hands on her hips. (Did she think we were five!?) “If you succeed, you will acquire your first Pokémon and set out on a wonderful journey of self-discovery!” she exclaimed, casting her arms dramatically out to either side.

“I’m almost surprised glitter didn’t fly out of her fingertips…” I accidentally muttered out loud. Werewolf boy began coughing in a way I’m sure was to cover up his laughter.

“Before we start, I want you to all look at the names on your exams. Does everyone have the proper paper?” There was a hum of movement and a few murmured yes’s throughout the room. “Oh goodie!” she said, clapping her hands together and bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Now don’t worry about failure, my darlings; you will always have the chance to rewrite next year,” she cooed in what I’m sure she thought was a soothing voice. “So let’s write a fair test – no talking and eyes on your own paper – and we’ll all have a spectacular time!”

“It would be really spectacular if she’d stop talking…” I muttered under my breath, once again dropping my head onto my desk. The Ruby student made a small noise of agreement.

“You kiddies will have three hours to write -- no more – starting…” she stared at her watch for nearly an entire minute, seemingly enjoying the room’s building tension. “Now!” she suddenly yelled and all that could be heard was a flurry of papers as people began their futures.

I flipped through the pages, getting a feel for the test before I started. I’d need to pace myself, though it seemed simple enough; most of it focussed on Care of Pokémon and Battle Theory. There was also a long answer PokéWorld History question and a few Pokemon Classification questions.

Battle Theory and Pokémon Classification had always been my strong points, so I worked on those first. Battle Theory was a lot of strategy such as a Pokémon’s weaknesses and strengths as well as a lot of physics such as calculating the angle an attack would need to be fired at to hit the opponent. Classification was easiest – mostly memorizing. We were given a silhouette and we’d have to identify the Pokémon, its type, and its egg group. The Care of Pokémon was mostly Pokémon anatomy as well as necessary nutrition for the various types and how to nurse minor battle wounds. Finally, the History question was an essay on what would have happened if the old Champion May had not stopped Team Aqua (as if there needed to be an entire essay about that…). All-in-all, though the exam was long, it was mostly common sense.

“Okay children,” Miss Chrissie called, “only five itty-bitty minutes left.”

I cringed at the sound of her voice as it cut through the silence. Carefully, I flipped through my exam to check it over. I noticed Werewolf beside me had finished about ten minutes ago and was currently leaning back in his desk with his eyes closed.

With a long, quiet sigh, I turned over my test and followed his example. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my system, making my hands shake, but I forced myself to relax. There was nothing more I could do.

“Time! Pencils down everybody!” the pink lady called, smiling at the round of groans and protests from the students. I was pretty sure she was enjoying our misery. “Now, now, don’t make such dreadful noises. I’m sure all you little dearies did just wonderful! Now please leave your exams on your desks and exit the room in a nice, orderly manner. Make sure you stop by the entrance hall tonight to see your scores! I expect to see all you little ones in the dojo at exactly seven-thirty tomorrow morning for the second part of your examination! See you then my darlings!”

The exit from the room was everything but orderly as the students scrambled to their freedom. I don’t think I had ever been more relieved to get away from a professor. As soon as Anne and I connected just outside the door, we shared an extremely exasperated look.

“How’d you do?” I asked tiredly.

“I’d rather not talk about it…” she mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am getting so excited! I know this chapter was a bit slower, but we're getting closer to the main plot!  
> Thank so much for reading--I hope you enjoyed!  
> I will see you next time with Chapter 5: Exam Day 2


	6. Chapter 5 - Exam Day 2

That evening, the announcement board in the entrance hall was surrounded by seniors anxiously looking at their test scores. My eyes scanned the list for my own. Second…I thought, slightly disappointed. I knew second was nothing to be ashamed of, but I had been aiming for first.

“Middle of the pack,” I heard Anne mutter victoriously beside me.

My eyes ran down the page to her name and upon finding it, I felt mildly ashamed. She was happy with seventeenth place while I had been upset over second.

“Well, looks like I beat you,” a taunting voice called over the crowd. I turned and saw Werewolf Kid weaving his way through the jumble of students—no small feat given his large size.

I rolled my eyes irritably. I always had been a poor loser. “Only by one percent,” I grumbled.

He shrugged, “One percent is all it takes.”

_Touché,_ I thought, still irritated.

“I’m Lorin, by the way. I don't think we've ever properly been introduced,” he said with a grin that made him look even more wolfish.

“I’m Scout,” I replied, offering my hand. “And I’m pretty sure you already know Anne?”

Lorin nodded.

“We’ve met,” he said as he took my hand.

We stayed for a while, discussing the exam and the eccentric 'test master' (or whatever she called herself) and though Lorin had seemed rude and arrogant initially, I found myself thoroughly enjoying his company until the crowd began to disperse and curfew approached.

“We should all get to bed,” I said regrettably. “I have a feeling the next couple days are going to be long ones.”

Lorin made a grunt of agreement. “Well I'll say goodnight then. See you at the dojo tomorrow!”

“Yup,” I said, turning toward the Sapphire Dorm. "Have a good night!"

“Night,” Anne called before following right behind me.

* * *

By seven the following morning, Anne and I found ourselves walking along the forest path, listening to the Alteria sing their morning song. A few of our classmates were walking the same path, but we silently kept to ourselves until Lorindor jogged up beside us, wolf-like grin in place.

“Ready to get beat again, Scout?” he quipped.

“Shut up, Lorin…” I grumbled. It was too early for bantering. He chuckled but walked silently beside us until we reached the dojo.

Already, a large crowd had gathered outside its doors. It seemed that not just our grad class showed up. Many full-fledged guild members were also present, talking and laughing among themselves. Many used the tournament to seek out potential apprentices; to see which students were worth training or would bring them the most renown as a mentor. I scanned the crowd for Light and Enkay.

I wanted to go over and say hi once I spotted them, but the grads were being called into the dojo office to register and the guests were being let into the viewing platform. I could have yelled to get their attention, but didn’t want the rest of the crowd’s attention as well. With a sigh, I followed my classmates.

Inside the spacious office, two booths had been set up. At the first, one of the guild secretaries was taking attendance and entering names into a computer. Once registered, we were directed to the second desk, where Dr. Lee handed us a single Pokéball, informing us not to open it until we were beginning our match or we would automatically fail this portion of the exam.

Before long, we were let into the Battle Room. The Battle Room was the largest area of the dojo, consisting of two levels. The upper level was a balcony that wrapped around three sides of the room, acting as a viewing platform. The lower level also had a small viewing area, where we were to wait until our matches were called. The rest of the ground floor made up the battle field. On the bare wall was a large screen that displayed the tournament matchups.

I looked up at it and noticed I was first. I groaned internally. My opponent was a girl from the Ruby dorm named Kendra. She had always been a fair amount taller than me and had long, dark brown hair and a confident smirk. Clenching my teeth, I met her eyes unwaveringly. We had what one might call a tense relationship. We used to be friends, but she randomly started spreading rumours about me in fifth year and we had spoken very little ever since.

“Trainers, please step onto the field!” a loud mechanical male voice called over the speakers.

I gripped the Pokéball in my hand nervously as I stepped forward. Whatever was in this ball would need to carry me through this match if I was to advance to the next round.

The annoying pink lady that had hosted our exams the day before walked into the middle of the field. I barely supressed a groan as she took in a large breath and began announcing the rules. “Alrighty children! Today’s battles will be one on one with the random Pokémon you received from the lovely Dr. Lee! Combatants will battle until one is unable to continue! You ready ducklings?”

Kendra and I both nodded.

Miss Chrissy raised her hand and we prepared to release our Pokémon. “Go!” she called slicing through the hair with her hand and quickly backing off the field.  
We tossed our balls through the air and watched with interest as they exploded with light. The first to clear was an Absol and my heart quickened, only to sink faster than a Rapidash at full speed. The smirking cat-like Pokémon was facing toward me. It was my opponent, not my partner. Instead, in front of me was a fluffy pink creature bouncing up and down. A Swirlix…

I was so caught off guard, before I could even assess the situation, Kendra was calling out an attack. “Absol, use Shadow Ball!”

The graceful Pokémon moved as quickly as the command was given and with a flick of its horn, a purplish sphere went spinning across the field. The fluff ball I was to be commanding gave a sad cry of pain as the attack made contact, knocking it airborne. In that moment, I was sure it was over, but Swirlix quickly caught itself and floated softly to the ground, seemingly unfazed.

I needed to think fast; I had never been fond of Fairy types and had spent little time studying their move sets. I certainly regretted that now. Absol looked ready to attack again, so I called out the first move I could think of.

“Swirlix, use Energy Ball!” I called. Could Swirlix even learn Energy Ball? The question flashed through my mind, but was answered when the pink fluff ball opened its jaws and fired a green ball of light at the Absol. The Energy Ball hit its target and it was knocked backwards.

“Good job, Swirlix!” Maybe I was still in this thing.

Kendra glared at me as her Absol got back to its feet. “Now Absol, use Night Slash!”

The Pokémon gave a quick call of acknowledgment before charging across the field.

“Evade it!” I cried, but as the command left my lips, the white creature was in front of Swirlix, ferociously slashing with its claws, black trails following in their wake. The pink Pokémon jumped back to dodge the first slash, but Absol’s speed was far greater and the second hit its mark.

“Swirlix!” I called in horror as its tiny body was thrown to the left a few feet. It rolled to a stop with a pitiful cooing noise. My earlier hope dispersed. There was no way I could win with this pathetic thing!

As Swirlix got to its feet, my opponent called out for Absol to use Razor Wind. Its horn glowed white and the wind began to pick up. As it charged, I was given a moment to think.

“Quickly, use Endeavour!” I called to the Swirlix. Swirlix had likely taken a lot of damage from those earlier attacks. This should even us out, I thought grimly.

The little pink thing hopped up and made a bound toward the concentrating Absol. Ramming its leg, Swirlix threw it off balance. With another hit, the Absol crashed heavily to the ground.

A direct hit!

But my heart sank once again as the Pokémon quickly jumped to its feet and began slashing the air with its horn, each swing creating a blade of light that cut through the air and made contact with my too close Swirlix.

Why didn’t Absol take on much damage!? I thought in frustration. Endeavour should lower the opponent’s health to the same amount as the user’s. Swirlix mustn’t have taken as much damage as I thought from that Night Slash, but…how? Suddenly, it hit me.

_How could I have been so stupid!?_ I growled at myself. I had the type advantage! With a plan now in mind, I knew I had a chance at victory.

“Absol, use Shadow Ball again!” Kendra called and once again, a ball of dark energy began baring down on my little pink fluff.

“Swirlix! Protect!”

A shield of light sprung around Swirlix at the last moment, deflecting the Absol’s attack. Its trainer growled in annoyance. “Why prolong the inevitable!?” she yelled from across the field. I ignored her, watching to see what the Absol would do next. “Absol, use Swift!” I heard its trainer command. I smothered the smirk that wanted to form on my lips.

Absol turned at looked at its trainer in confusion.

Kendra growled. “Fine then! Use Shadow Claw!”

Absol slowly approached my Swirlix, a ghostly aura forming around its paws. The on-lookers whispered to each other, wondering if I really had given up and was going to allow my Pokémon to take a direct hit that would surely end the battle. I ignored them too, concentrating solely on the Absol. _Almost…there…_

“Now Swirlix! Use Draining Kiss!”

With Absol so close, Swirlix had little more to do than jump up and plant its lips on its opponent’s forehead. Both Pokémon began to glow in a soft pink light and remained that way for a few long seconds before Swirlix removed its lips with a quiet ‘pop’. Lingering glitter fell between the two.

Swirlix hopped around licking and smacking its lips, showing off the energy it had just stolen. Absol, meanwhile, was staggering, attempting to regain its balance. It was almost exhausted.

“We’re not done yet Swirlix! Use an Energy Ball!”

“Liiiiiiii--” the Swirlix called as it opened its jaws and mustered all of its energy. Kendra looked on, too shocked at having suddenly lost the favour of the match to command her Pokémon. Swirlix released the ball of light, hitting the dazed Absol in the chest. The disaster Pokémon flew backward, landing at its temporary trainer’s feet. There it lay unmoving as Kendra angrily called for it to get up.

“What an exciting fight that was! I’ve always loved the stories where the underdog makes a comeback! Absol is unable to battle!” Miss Chrissy’s voice cut across the field. “Swirlix is the winner and Scout advances to the next round! Please return your Pokémon to Dr. Lee and claim your ball for the next round.”

I smiled and hugged my temporary Swirlix as the small crowd clapped. “Thanks Swirlix,” I said softly to it. “You did great!”

“Swirl, Swirlix!” it cried happily, licking my face. I returned it to its ball, a little sad that I had to turn it in.

“Great job!” Anne called, jogging out to meet me as I made my way to the office to return Swirlix and receive my next Pokémon.

“Thanks,” I replied cheerfully. She fell into step beside me.

“I was genuinely concerned when she pulled out that Absol,” she said jokingly, though I could tell she meant it.

“Me too,” I responded. “I’m just lucky she had no idea how to command it to its full potential! I mean, Swift? I’ve never met an Absol that can learn Swift.”

Anne laughed.

“Trainers, please step onto the field!” called the same mechanical voice that had begun my match with Kendra. I guess the next match was beginning already.

“They certainly aren’t wasting any time,” I commented.

Anne nodded, “I guess with so many matches that they have to get through.”

I returned Swirlix and received a new mystery ball before walking with Anne back to the student viewing area. By the time we got back, the fight between a Meowth and Kirlia had already ended with the Meowth as the victor.

“Must have been an easy fight,” I said to Anne who agreed. "We’ll have to be wary of that one during the next rounds."

Two matches later, Anne’s name came up on the board and the call for the trainers to step into the ring sounded once again.

My friend sighed.

“Good luck,” I said.

“I won’t need it,” she said as she entered the field with a smile on her face.

Fair enough, I thought, looking between her and her opponent.

Anne wore her trademark smirk she always wore during a battle that gave the air she knew something you didn’t. Her opponent was a petite boy from our dorm. He had mousy brown hair and a timid disposition. I felt a little bad for him.

Miss Chrissy entered the field with an extravagant wave of her hand, announced the same basic rules as before and dropped her hand.

“Begin!” she called.

Anne was the first to throw her ball into the field with a little more power than necessary, despite her small form. The boy across from her flinched and weakly threw out his own ball. Both burst open in rays of light.

Anne’s took form first, revealing a large, heavily built Bouffalant. Her smirk grew; growing up on a ranch, working with any herding Pokemon was familiar territory. I was then sure she would win as the boy’s Pokemon took form. A pathetically small, albeit cute, Pachirisu had entered the field. Its trainer was now visibly shaking in terror.

Looking almost sympathetic, Anne started the battle. “Bouffalant, use Megahorn!”

The large Pokémon gave a loud bellow as its horns charged with energy and gave way to a new shape, curving inwards to meet at a sharp point. The great beast charged the poor squirrel that had no idea what was awaiting it.

I chuckled and shook my head. She really wasn’t going to hold anything back, despite her weak opponent. The attack threw the tiny creature into the air and the boy seemed snap out of his trance. Though he still looked terrified, there was also solid determination and I found myself admiring him just a bit.

“Quick Pachirisu! Use Charge!” he called. Immediately, it repositioned itself in the air and began charging its energy as fast as possible. It landed on all fours only a few feet away from the large Bouffalant. Its cheeks gave off blue sparks.

If this kid relies on speed and agility, he may have a fighting chance, I thought, watching the match with interest. Bouffalant may be powerful, but it was slow and cumbersome, especially in smaller spaces like this arena.

“Now! Use Discharge!” the boy called as the Bouffalant turned itself to face the small squirrel.

Pachirisu ran a few strides toward the larger pokemon before jumping into the air and releasing its attack along with the additional energy it had acquired. The buffalo Pokémon grunted in pain. I gave a small nod of approval and looked at Anne. She seemed unfazed.

“Bouffalant, use Thrash,” she called out to it.

Pachirisu ended its attack and began to fall back down to the ground when its opponent’s powerful back legs landed a kick right to the small creature’s stomach, sending it across the field to land at Anne’s feet.

“No!” the boy cried and began shaking as his nervous terror once again took over. “Pachirisu! Get up!”

The small creature shakily got to its feet. The movement caught the eye of the raging bison.

“Use Quick Attack!” the boy called desperately as Bouffalant blindly charged his Pokémon. Mustering the last of its energy, the small rodent charged the larger pokémon with blinding speed. I shook my head in disbelief. Granted, the rodent’s velocity was much higher, but with Bouffalant’s significantly greater mass and biology intended for absorbing shock, there was no way this kid was going to win in a head-to-head combat. Sure enough, as they met in the middle, the Pachirisu was sent flying into the air by one of Bouffalant’s horns and was hit with another powerful kick.

It landed in a pitiful heap in front of the boy, who ran out to protect it, though it was still conscious and trying to get back to its feet.

“Enough!” he cried, tears pooling in his eyes as he gently lifted the battered creature into his arms. The room went silent, apart from Bouffalant’s snorting as it wandered around the field in a daze. “Pachirisu has done enough. We can’t win and she doesn’t need to get hurt anymore. I…I yield.”

Silence filled the stadium until one person started clapping and soon everyone joined in. This boy, though he may not be great at battling, would clearly make a great trainer. I found myself hoping he’d pass. Anne recalled her Pokémon with a word of praise as the pink lady called, “Pachirisu and Danny have thrown in the white towel. Little Miss Attfield will advance to the next round!”

I chuckled as I saw my friend’s jaw clench. She hated being called little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!  
> I'll see you next time with Chapter 6! In the mean time, please feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.


	7. Chapter 6 - Scout and Anne

“Growlithe is unable to battle! Scout and Persian win and will be advancing to the semifinals tomorrow! Please return your Pokéballs and you are all dismissed for a late supper and a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you all tomorrow at the Petalburg Gym after lunch!” Miss Chrissy’s voice called over the cheering crowd. I winced at her constant screeching as I recalled Persian, thanking it for a great battle. Not that it was much of a battle. 

I looked at the Tournament board in exhaustion. The day had been long--battle after battle until four of us were left. Both Anne and Lorin would be advancing with me to the semifinals. I was excited, but also a little sad knowing I’d have to battle my best friend as my first match tomorrow. No matter what, one of us wouldn’t be able to advance beyond that.

“Great job!” Anne and Lorin called, jogging out to meet me as I left to return Persian. “Looks like we’re all going to the semifinals!”

“Thanks,” I said, attempting to be enthusiastic, but holding back a yawn.

“Aren’t you excited about getting into the next round?” Anne asked.

“I am,” I replied. “But right now I just want to sleep. I was right when I said this was going to be a long day.”

“No kidding,” Lorin stated. “We should get some food and go to bed.”

“At least we’ll get to sleep in a bit tomorrow,” Anne said. “The matches don’t start until 11:00.”

I hummed in agreement. We made it to the office and I handed Persian’s ball back to Dr. Lee.

“Congratulations on making it into the semifinals,” she said, accepting the ball and typing something into her computer.

“Thanks,” I replied with a tired smile.

“Good luck tomorrow,” she said as we turned to leave for supper. “I think this year will be an interesting one.”

We all turned to ask for more information, but she just smiled and waved us off as the boy I had just beat walked into the room.

I muttered as we left, “That sounded ominous…”

“Don’t dwell on it,” Lorin advised. 

“Yeah,” Anne agreed. “Let’s just get food.

I shrugged and we began the walk back to the Guild, though Dr. Lee’s comment never left my mind. After a quick supper, we retired to our dorms and nearly as soon as my head hit my pillow, I fell asleep.

* * *

_The lands turned to chaos as brutal battles broke out across the region. Neighbours fighting neighbours. Brothers fighting brothers. The sky turned black as smoke billowed out of Mt. Chimney and the white-capped waves rose against it with angry roars. Vicious torrents of freezing rain stung a lone trainer’s face and arms as she fought her way through the storm on the back of her Pidgeot. Water and blood streamed down her face, nearly blinding her. She shook her head to clear it, but otherwise ignored her pain. Leaning further into the soaked feathers beneath her, she began to say something. Her voice sounded distant and jumbled, like she was speaking underwater. The brave bird Pokémon struggled on in the fierce wind that threatened to cast them both out of the sky._

_Rider and Pokémon cringed as a horrible screech filled the air. A Staraptor appeared amid the smoke and launched itself at the pair, talons extended. The Pidgeot pivoted in the air to protect its trainer. As the two birds collided--_

I shot up, eye wild.

_Damn it…_ Whatever that nightmare was always felt so realistic.

Listening to my heart pounding, I scanned my dorm room. It was still dark, but the sun was starting to rise. As my pulse slowed, I took a deep breath and laid back down.  
Might as well get whatever sleep I can before I have to get up. 

* * *

I took the two balls being handed to me and gripped them tightly.

To make the final battles more interesting, there was always a twist when it came to the Pokémon. No one knew what it would be this year, but in past years all the Pokémon had been poison types, all the Pokémon were babies like Cleffa, Pichu, Togepi, etc., and last year it was Pokémon that were at their highest level and evolution, making them a difficult to control. One kid got a Nidoking that elected to lay down and take a nap rather than fight. It was pretty comical then, but now that I was here it was just intimidating. 

I looked down at the balls in my hand. What will the twist be this year? I wondered. What could possibly be different about you two? 

A muffled roar of the crowd on the other side of the large oak door pulled me from my thoughts. The door swooped open and Lorindor walked through, looking pleased with himself.

“You win?” I asked, though I knew the answer.

“Yup,” he replied with his trademark wolf-grin.

“Would the next trainers please enter the field,” Madame Crystal called. I groaned as I heard her irritating voice and attached the balls to my belt.

“Good luck out there,” Lorin said with a chuckle. 

“Thanks,” I said and stepped out onto the field to take my place, all the while watching Anne make her approach. The large screen across the field lit up with our profile images. All around me, the viewing platform was full of cheering Pokémon fans.

The referee, an unfamiliar man, stepped onto the field and announced the rules, “This will be a two on two battle! Each Pokémon will fight until they are unable to battle. The winning trainer will move on to the final round! Good luck to you both!”

Anne and I locked eyes, knowing neither of us would hold back. A cold silence crept over the crowd.

“Please release your Pokémon!”

Both of us stepped forward and threw our balls as hard as we could. Both landed and burst into rays of light at the exact same moment. As the light faded and our Pokémon took form, I smiled in delight. On my team was a Raichu and on Anne’s was a Furret; this battle would not be a dull one!

“Trainers ready!?” the ref called. Our focused silence was our answer. The man slashed the air with his hand.

“Begin!”

I immediately called the first move. “Raichu! Use Thunderbolt!”

“Furret, Dig!” Anne countered.

Both of us stood there in anticipation, glaring each other down, eyes full of determination. After a few seconds we both realized our Pokémon had failed to move.

“Raichu, Quick Attack!” I tried a different move.

“Come on Furret, use Dig!” Anne called.

Nothing.

Our Pokémon just stared at us blankly, as though they had no idea what we were saying. I saw Anne bend down and whisper to Furret, trying to convince it into action. The crowd began to murmur.

Frustrated, I recalled the Pokémon. Anne did the same.

Together we sent out our next balls. Anne’s cleared its ball first. She had a Rapidash and for a moment, my heart sank. This was a Pokémon she had been working with since she could walk.

Though as my Pokémon appeared, my confidence was restored: an Absol. The Pokémon I had been working with since I was born! I knew just what to do!

“Absol! Shadow Ball!”

“Rapidash! Flame Charge!”

Again, neither Pokémon moved. I growled in frustration. My eyes scanned over the crowd that was beginning to break into laughter.

“What a riveting battle this is shaping up to be!” Miss Chrissie’s taunting voice called over the speakers and the stadium roared. So that’s where she is, I thought grumpily. I guess she decided she was going to commentate rather than referee the match.

I looked at my Absol, then back to the crowd, then to the large screen and my eyes widened. Next to our images and names were our Pokémon and…their names! These Pokémon had names! 

“Phi?” I muttered out loud. The Absol’s head snapped to attention as it looked me in the eye. I smirked. “Phi! Use Aerial Ace!”

Immediately, the white cat sprang into action, charging its opponent, gaining speed until it was a blur.

“Rapidash! Jump over it!” Anne called desperately, but the flaming horse stayed where it was as though she hadn’t spoken at all.

Phi slashed out with its blade, sending Rapidash crashing to the ground. 

“How did you--?” she began to ask, but I wasn’t about to give up my advantage. While she was figuring it out--and she soon would--I needed to find a way to counter Rapidash’s speed or I’d have no chance at beating it.

“Phi! Hone Claws!” Its claws began to glow with a metallic sheen.

“Now use Double Team!” 

Four more Absol appeared, two on each side of Phi. The five disaster Pokémon began circling their opponent. 

“Now Phi, use Shadow Ball!”

All five Absol began forming dark orbs on their foreheads. In sync, they launched their attack and as the five balls hurled toward her Pokémon, Anne seemed to catch on. Her eyes hurriedly flickered around the gym before landing on the screen.

“Rayne! Bounce!”

The fire horse jumped straight up, avoiding Phi’s attack. So much for my advantage. Now the real battle begins!

“Phi!” I called as Rayne slammed down on top of my Absol, crushing it into the ground. When the dust settled, there was nothing underneath the horse’s hooves.

It was one of the clones!

“Great job Phi! Now use Shadow Ball again!”

“Bounce, Rayne!”

Once again it came down on one of the clones. Only two clones and Phi remained.

“Rayne, we need to take out the other clones. Surround all three with Inferno!” 

A huge fire sprang up around Rapidash before moving to engulf the three cats. 

“Protect, Phi!”

Phi created a dome of blue light around itself just as the flames reached them. As the inferno died down, it stood completely unharmed but its clones had been consumed in the blaze.

“Gott’cha,” Anne muttered with a smirk.

“Rayne! Megahorn!”

_But that’s--!_

“Phi! You have to evade it!” 

But an Absol is no match for a Rapidash’s speed. The powerful bug-type move hit its target straight on, sending Phi flying across the stadium.

“Phi!” I cried out. It landed with a heavy thud and lay still. “Phi, you have to get up!” I called desperately. “Please!”

The cat’s eyes shot open and the crowd cheered. Shakily, it got to its feet.

“That’s it Phi!” I cheered along with the audience. [i] There is no way he’ll withstand another attack like that[/i], I thought. “This needs to end. Phi, use Stone Edge!”

“Rayne, Agility! So long as you keep moving, it won’t hit you!” Anne called to her Pokémon. It responded, galloping around the stadium, and picking up speed as it avoided the large rocks that threatened to impale it from underneath. 

I growled. I knew it would be hard to fight once Anne figured out its name, but I haven’t been able to land a single hit since and the longer this battle dragged on, the less of a chance I’d have a winning. I needed to do something drastic.

I closed my eyes and took a slow, deep breath in before releasing it once more. 

“Phi,” I said sadly. I hated this move. It turned to look at me, complete trust in its eyes, making what I was about to do a lot more difficult. I had always felt this move was a betrayal of my Pokémon’s trust. “Use Perish Song.”

The Absol dipped its head and turned back to the field. Closing its eyes, it began its song. Long, mournful notes danced through the stadium, silencing everyone that heard. Even Rapidash quieted as it listened to the melancholy melody. As it ended, I knew I’d have time for about five more attacks so long as they were done quickly.

The last note faded away and Phi turned to meet my eye. He gave me a soft grin.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I’ll do my best to win this for you.”

The Pokémon nodded in response and turned to face its opponent with a new determination though I could tell its energy was already fading.

“Phi! Use Pursuit!” I called. _One._ Anne grit her teeth and replaced the ready Pokéball back on her belt. There would be no retreat from this.

“Dodge it Rayne!” The Rapidash just barely managed to comply.

“Use Quick Attack,” I commanded. _Two._ Phi lunged forward, slower than normal, but still plowing into the flame Pokémon as it landed. Rayne stumbled.

“Good job Phi! Now use Rain Dance!” _Three._

Rain began to fall as clouds gathered near the roof of the dojo. I watched as Anne’s hand reached for Rayne’s pokéball once more.[/p]  
“Use Pursuit again Phi!” _Four._

Anne growled as she was once again forced to keep her weakening Pokémon on the field. 

“Counter it with Flame Charge!” Rapidash built a weak layer of fire around its body and charged the oncoming Absol. The power, however, was so weakened that it just barely managed to fend of Phi’s charge. Both Pokémon swayed, looking horribly drained. 

“Phi, use Future Sight!” _Five._

The Absol closed its eyes as the gem on its forehead began to softly glow for a short moment, glittering off the heavy rain and creating a breath-taking sight. Then it was over.

“Rayne, use Stomp!”

The fire horse tried to obey, but it could barely lift its foot. It weakly poked Phi in the nose with its hoof before both Pokémon collapsed. The stadium was silent apart from the rain crashing to the floor.

“Come back Phi and take a good rest,” I said softly as he disappeared in a flash of red. I kissed his Pokéball. “Thanks for a great fight.”

I looked across the field to see Anne with her next Pokéball in hand. Grabbing Raichu’s ball, I nodded at her and we both released our next Pokémon. Both our eyes shot up to the large screen.

“Isary, use Thunder!” I commanded, but my Raichu didn’t move. I thought for a moment. “Eye-sary?” I tried again. The thunder mouse’s brown ears twitched and it looked at me. My eyes lit up. “Isary! Use Thunder!”

Raichu gave a nod. Releasing a determined cry, it released an electric shock that quickly made its way into the dense clouds that had been formed by Phi’s Rain Dance, electrifying them. The clouds released their energy in a powerful bolt. 

“Dodge it Moka!” The Furret tried its best, but the attack met its target. Anne looked on in shock as her Pokémon cried out in pain.

“Thunder always hits its mark when it’s raining!” I called across the field. Realization suddenly dawned on Anne’s face.

“Now Isary! Quick Attack!”

The orange mouse sped across the field at speeds too high to track, ramming into its target. The Furret was sent airbourne. The rain slowed to a stop and the clouds above cleared.

Anne’s typical grin returned as began her own attack. “Moka, Dig!”

The long bodied Pokémon righted itself in the air and as soon as it landed, it disappeared underground.

“Stay on guard Isary!” I warned and the room fell silent, waiting for Furret to resurface. I searched the ground for any sign of where the long body Pokémon might be, wishing Raichu could use Earthquake. Finally the earth gave a small shake. Before I could call for Isary to dodge, Moka had emerged, striking the Raichu with a hard slash from its tail. Isary flew backwards, landing midfield. 

I knew I had to counter, but Anne was faster.

“Power-up Punch Moka!” The Furret dashed towards the downed thunder mouse.

Before it could get close, a strong invisible force slammed into the little ferret, sending it flying backward. Everyone watching seemed stunned. I smirked. _That couldn’t have appeared at a better time, Phi!_

Taking notice of my look, Anne grinned and rolled her eyes, “Future Sight.”

I nodded. It was a favourite strategy of mine.

“Go again with Power-up Punch, Moka!” Anne called. The Furret once again darted across the field and gave Isary a surprisingly strong punch to the face.

I had to counter now, while Moka was so close thanks so its stubbly little arms.

“Isary! Use Slam!” I cried.

“Rai,” it grunted in response, rolling away from its attacker. Isary jumped swiftly to its feet, spinning as it did so to gain momentum. Using its tail, the Raichu struck out at Moka. The Furret slammed the ground. Hard.

“Moka!” Anne cried, taking a worried step forward.

“Furrr!” it answered, stubbornly getting back to its feet. 

Anne smiled proudly. “Alright then. Use Shadow Claw!”

Moka pushed off the ground with its hind legs as its front paws became shrouded in a purple shadow that formed into large claws.

“Evade it!” I yelled and Isary responded immediately, moving quickly to dodge the continuous dark slashes. Time to counter.

“Good! Now let it get in close and use Shock Wave!” I called.

Isary’s yellow cheeks let off a few warning sparks. Just as the attack set off, one of Moka’s sharp Shadow Claws caught the Raichu’s cheek. Isary staggered a bit, eyes watering from the sting of the fresh claw marks.

Moka, however, was flying backward and landed on the far side of the field, panting heavily. It was back on its feet in a second, but not without a noticeable wince as it held one paw protectively to its chest. Hitting Raichu’s cheek just as it let off that attack must have increased the damage the Furret had taken! I looked back at my Raichu who was also breathing heavily. Neither Pokémon could keep this up much longer.

I had one more trick up my sleeve that could end the match, but I needed to wait for Anne to call out her next attack. I looked across the field at my best friend. She was wearing her trademark smirk, her eyes were steel. As she caught my eye and raised an eyebrow, I knew we were thinking the same thing.

I nodded.

“FOCUS BLAST!” we shouted in unison.

Completely synchronized, Isary and Moka each charged a large ball of energy above their heads. They released their attacks.

The balls flew through the air, seemingly on a collision course, but instead of hitting mid-air, they grazed past each other and continued on to hit their targets. Both Pokémon flew backward as the field was cloaked in a cloud of dust.

I flinched away from the shockwave that had been released and when I opened my eyes, I was amazed to find both Pokémon on their feet. Both were shaking violently and the room was completely still.

We waited, watching closely. Long seconds passed until Isary’s legs finally gave out. My heart fell as I watched the Raichu go down. As it did so, Moka also collapsed. Both hit the ground, but I knew how the rules worked and Isary landed first. I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow, more than disappointed to have made it this far only to lose now. 

_I’m sorry Phi,_ I thought as I made to grab for Isary’s ball to recall her.

“Moka is unable to battle! Isary and Scout win!”

My eyes shot open and I looked around the stadium in confusion: first at the ref, then at the roaring crowd, then to the commentator’s box where the pink lady stood. That can’t have been right. What was happening? Anne won.

My gaze then fell on Isary. My eyes watered as I saw her barely standing on all fours, wincing in pain. It looked me directly in the eyes and gave a weak but brilliant smile before its eyes closed and it collapsed.

I ran to catch her, scooping her into my arms and thanking her over and over again as tears shamelessly ran down my face.

I recalled the wonderful little Pokemon and got to my feet.

I looked at Anne who was on her knees, also thanking her Pokémon. She felt my gaze and met it, smiling proudly. I smiled back warmly and offered my hand. After recalling Moka, she grabbed it and I pulled her to her feet into a tight hug. The crowd went wild.

I murmured, “Nice finale.”

She pulled back and gave a light smirk. “Go out with a bang, as they say.”

I laughed and she winked at me.

“Scout Norwood will go on to the final round against Lorindor Notaro after lunch! See you all there!” Madame Crystal’s voice called over the speaker. I cringed on reflex and made my way with Anne to return Phi and Isary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'll be back with Chapter 7: Rival


	8. Chapter 7 - Rivals

The floor rumbled. I looked down to see the square I was standing on beginning to shift. A set of rails rose up around me to about the height of my stomach. I looked back up and saw Lorindor’s platform doing the same. A buzzer went off and the field began to change. The floor opened and spires of rock rose in front of us.

We looked at each other in amazement. This was definitely new.

The platforms we were standing on began to rise and the roof of the stadium began to open, exposing the blue sky above us. The stands also rose to our level and two large fans at either end of the stadium started up with a loud hum, creating strong tunnels of wind between the rock pillars. The referee rose up to join us and called out the rules.

“This battle will be a three on three aerial battle!” his voice called over the loud speakers. The crowd cheered. Even I couldn’t help grinning; sky battles were always fun and a new field like this would definitely be interesting!

“Both trainers will battle until one is out of usable Pokémon! The winner will be named this year’s Graduate Champion!”

A small box rose from the floor in front of me. Inside were three Pokéballs and a screen showing me what was in each.

“I’m feeling all too generous this afternoon, so the trainers will be shown which Pokémon they have been given to work with! This should give each trainer a chance to strategize and coordinate the larger team. There’s really no need to thank me! You’re welcome my lovlies!” our flamboyant commentator announced with a giggle.

I rolled my eyes. Here I was hoping I wouldn’t have to hear her voice this time.

I looked down at the team I had been given to command. A Butterfree, a Togekiss, and a Talonflame. I cringed at the first two. How was a bug going to help me in an aerial battle!? I was at an immediate type disadvantage! And though Togekiss was an alright Pokemon and Swirlix had proved to me the value a Fairy Type could have, I wasn’t too thrilled about having another one on my team. I just wasn’t very experienced with using them.

I sighed. At least Talonflame would be a fair asset.

I picked up the Togekiss first and read its name. Lorin had also picked up his first ball. The referee looked at us both in turn and nodded.

“Begin!”

We released out Pokémon, watching for what would appear on the field across from us. My eyes lit up as I saw a Noivern fluttering in front of my Togekiss. I had the type advantage!

“Frisk! Extreme Speed!” I called out in excitement. The Jubilee Pokémon gave a soft coo before it sped off in a flurry of light towards Lorin’s Noivern.

“Jenny, Air Cutter!” Lorin countered quickly.

The large bat raised its hind claws, which began to glow pale blue. As Frisk honed in, Jenny let loose two powerful kicks followed by two strong beats of its wings. Six blades sliced through the air.

“Evade it!” I cried.

Frisk quickly dove, then swooped back up, striking Jenny from underneath and throwing it off balance.

“Yes! Good job Frisk!” I called.

The Noivern quickly leveled itself out once more. Togekiss hovered above its opponent -- the perfect spot for my next attack.

“Use Moonblast, Frisk!”

The feathery Pokémon opened its mouth and a silvery orb began to form.

“Counter it with Shadow Ball, Jenny!” Lorin’s voice called and as Frisk released its large silvery ball of energy, Jenny let loose a dark orb of equal size.

The two attacks collided and both Pokémon were pushed backward in the resulting blast, but we still had the type advantage! Jenny’s counter had absorbed some of the hit, but she still took damage!

Frisk was merely tossed harmlessly into the air and was now flying over the forest instead of the dojo. I called out to it and gave it a wave to come closer to me. As it did, I pointed to one of the rock pillars in the middle of my side of the field. It was quick to take up this new position. I looked around for Lorin’s Noivern, but it was nowhere in sight.

Frisk suddenly reacted. Gasping, it fell backward out of the way of the dragon that rode the swift currents between the rock pillars.

Jenny sailed up out of the current, narrowly missing my Togekiss. Before I could call out an attack, it swooped back into the lower region of the rocks. We were on our guard. I desperately scanned the lower wind tunnels as Togekiss perched itself on a higher pillar that had a wider top.

I was listening for the updrafts or any noise that may give the bat’s position away when I heard Lorin call out, "Giga Impact!"

The Noivern climbed over a pillar not far from the one my Togekiss sat and propelled itself forward in a flurry of furious energy.

"To your left! Dodge it!" I called out as fast as I could. Frisk tried to take a powerful flap off the pillar, but was hit as Jenny sailed by. Fortunately, it was just a graze and Frisk was able to stabilize itself quickly.

Our opponent landed on a pillar not far away and I could see it was out of breath and needed to recharge. Good.

"Frisk, use Sky Attack!"

"Togi!" It squeaked in determination. A bright, pale yellow light began to coat it, growing more and more intense by the second.

Noivern slowly came out of its daze and gained the ability to move again, but as it tried to move back into the wind tunnels, it was blasted skyward by the now fiery orange light consuming Frisk.

"Now use Moon Blast!"

A silver ball formed at the feathery Pokémon’s lips and despite Lorin’s cries for a counter attack, Jenny took a direct hit and was knocked out of the field. It crashed through the upper branches of the forest canopy and laid unmoving. Lorin recalled it as the ref made the call.

"Noivern is unable to battle!"

"Good strategy with the wind tunnels!" I called out to him.

"Thanks!” he called back, “but don’t get comfortable just because you have a leg up on me right now."

“I was just paying a compliment,” I said innocently. He rolled his eyes and released his next Pokémon.

"Go Drak!" he called. The usual light shone and formed into a purple, four-winged bat—a Crobat.

I looked at it uneasily. I knew Crobat were generally pretty powerful attack-wise, but had little in the way of defence. If I could hit it hard enough, this fight would be mine. The real question however: would my Togekiss be able to keep up with this its speed?

I had little more than a second to contemplate this and try to form a strategy before the ref called to resume the match.

I made the first call once again. "Frisk, Extrasensory!"

Togekiss hovered mid field and just barely visible psychic energy began radiating off of it.

Lorin then called his own attack. "Use Whirlwind, Drak!"

Crobat began rapidly flapping its four wings and a small tornado formed in the arena.

No matter how hard it fought the wind, my Togekiss became trapped in its current. It flew completely out of control, smashing into several of the rock pillars before being thrown high into the air once again. It tried to level out, but was flying unevenly, barely staying aloft.

This wasn't good. I needed more speed, badly.

“It looks like Frisk is just about ready to give in!” Miss Chrissy’s voice rang over the speakers. “How will our little Scout fight with a half-dead Pokémon?”

I growled in frustration. "Hang in there Frisk -- we can do this! Use Extreme Speed!" The exhausted looking creature regained balance and surprised everyone with how swiftly it came back and rammed into the Crobat before making a quick U-turn and striking a second time. The purple bat was visibly agitated by its fresh bruises. Lorindor was no less annoyed.

“Great job! Keep going!” I called.

As Frisk made for a third pass, Lorin called out for an attack. "Stop it with Cross Poison!"

“Pull off!” I cried, but as the Togekiss honed in, I knew it was too late. Drak slashed its two larger wings in an X shape and the super effective attack hit its mark straight on. As Togekiss began to fall, I held out it's Pokéball and returned it.

I looked down at the ball, slightly disappointed. "Thank you Frisk. Take a well-deserved rest."

I placed the ball back down in its spot. Without having to think twice about the options in front of me, I picked up my second ball and threw it out.

"I choose you!" I called out -- partially to get Lorin’s attention and partially because I had always wanted to! They always said it in the movies I watched as a child!

Lorin gave my choice a confused look, but I only smiled. The cute Butterfree flew around in happy little circles as Lorin’s Crobat leered at it from the pillar it now perched on. The referee made the call to continue and both Pokémon were in the air, facing off and focused.

Well, as focused as this jolly Butterfree could be. It fluttered ‘round and ‘round singing, “free-free, free-free.”

This time, it was Lorin who called the first move. "Drak! Wing attack!" The bat gave a hissing noise in response and charged the Butterfree with glowing wings.

I didn't even have to call for it to dodge. The Butterfree gave a light flap and gracefully flipped out of the Crobat's way, continuing its carefree chant. The Crobat wiped around and charged at it again only for Butterfree to once again twirl happily out of the way and ride the air current up.

“Free-free, free-free,” the butterfly cooed. The crowd began to laugh.

Drak grew darker in colour and, looking angrier than it usually did, followed it.

"Try Cross Poison Drak," Lorin’s voice called out. The Crobat, despite its anger, obeyed the call and the hurled at my Butterfree the same way it had with Frisk.

I didn't wait for its approach. "Nina! Use psychic!"

The happy little bug didn't hesitate. It locked eyes with Drak and both began to glow with psychic energy. Crobat was forced to a halt and, with a cute tilt of Nina’s head, was sent crashing into one of the pillars. It shattered, crumpling into a cloud of dust. The butterfly’s gleeful tune continued as though it was lapping up the sweetest nectar rather than thrashing around an opponent. A couple more flicks of its head and Butterfree had slammed the much larger bat into two more pillars that also collapsed, filling the area with a thick cloud.

As we waited for the dust to settle, a barrage of purple coloured globs erupted from the smoke towards Nina. Sludge bomb.

"Evade it!" I called out. Butterfree flipped, twirled, and fluttered out of the way of the unpredictable attack the best it could, but ended up taking one shot directly in its abdomen. It cried out pathetically and attempted to shake off the muck.

“You okay, Nina?” I asked and it looked at me sadly. “You’ll be okay,” I encouraged, “You can have a nice bath after the battle.”

The bug Pokémon nodded and turned back to the field.

The dust had cleared completely to reveal a banged up Crobat sitting amongst the rubble. It rose back into the air unsteadily. I took notice that it was only beating one set of its wings and smirked. It was almost completely exhausted.

Before Lorin could make another sly attack, I called, "Nina! Finish it with another Psychic!"

It gave a gleeful hum as it lifted the Crobat once more and hurled it up into the sky, crashing through another pillar on the way, before simply letting it drop.

When it became evident Drak wasn’t going pull out of its freefall, Lorin recalled it in a flash of light.

“Crobat is unable to battle. Please release your final Pokémon.”

“Wow!” A high-pitched voice called over the speakers. “Who knew such a cute little thing could be so brutal…and her Butterfree was quite the monster too!”

The crowd laughed and I grit my teeth. However, when Nina fluttered over to me and started doing a little happy dance, I couldn't help but smile. I patted it softly on the head and turned to see what Pokémon Lorin would release.

He threw out his last ball and from the bright light erupted a Honchkrow -- large, chest puffed out, and floating in the air with powerful flaps of its glossy black wings. Butterfree turned around and fluttered back to its spot as if unaware of the danger it was in.

We waited do the ref's call to resume. I could see the cocky grin on Lorin’s face. I met it with a determined glare.

"Begin!"

Immediately, I made the first call. "Nina, use Poison Powder!"

"Sebastian, use Gust!"

Butterfree twirled and gave a graceful flap of its wings, sending purple dust toward the Honchkrow, but as it approached, the raven began flapping its powerful wings and the cloud was sent back to my Butterfree.

“Get out of there Nina!” I tried to call, but it was too late. It was already surrounded by the purple cloud. I wanted to kick myself. I had poisoned my own Pokémon. I used that move knowing Honchkrow could use Gust and now Butterfree had mere minutes left before it would finally collapse!

The dust disappeared, leaving the poor thing with a terrible cough.

"Use Silver Wind Nina! You can do it!"

Butterfree mustered up its strength and fluttered towards the wind tunnel Honchkrow was hovering on. The purple bug flapped its wings as fast as it could, releasing a silvery dust that rose on the current, directly to our opponent.

"Fly away, Sebastian!" Lorin called out. It obeyed, flying out of the current and onto the next one.

Nina just wouldn’t be fast enough to land an attack like that…I needed to do something.

"Again, Nina,” I called, “but towards the ground as hard as you can!"

It didn't hesitate or question my command and began covering the bottom of the field in its silvery dust. Thanks to the rubble left behind by the pillars that had been knocked over, many of the swift air tunnels were directed upward. Once the dust was released, the currents took over.

Lorin realized immediately what I had done. Pillars of the silver rose up from all around and though Honchkrow tried to dodge and move around it all, it got caught and let out a pained cry. My Butterfree was also whimpering pathetically.

"Now use Hyper Beam, Nina," I commanded. This was an all or nothing attack. Nina had only seconds at this rate. The butterfly gracefully flew up out of the silver cloud, some dust trailing behind it. It flapped its wings in a pretty display, seemingly putting on a show. Then, without warning, it let loose a powerful attack.

"Ride the air!" Lorin cried.

Honchkrow heard and spread its wings making it sail up and out of harm’s way. The attack sailed harmlessly by and hit some trees just behind the viewing platform. There was a startled scream from the crowd, but the attack cleanly missed the stands.

"Sebastian, counter--" Lorin started to call, but cut off his attack. There was no point now.

Butterfree fluttered its way into my arms and laid unmoving. I pulled out its Pokéball and returned it as the referee made the usual call.

"Thank you so much Nina. You did great," I said to the ball.

I placed it down in its spot and looked to my last Pokémon. Picking up Talon flame’s ball, I smiled. This wasn't over yet! I threw the ball out as hard as I could. "Let’s go Blaze!"

The ball burst open and the brilliant fiery bird appeared in mid-air. It wasn’t as big as the Honchcrow, but completely matched it for ferocity. Both of the birds glared each other down as they used each flap of their large wings to show off their power. The ref called for the battle to begin!

"Blaze, use Flame Charge!" I called out.

"Sebastian! Drill Peck," Lorin called.

The Honchkrow flew up then dove. Its beak glowed into a point as it spiraled into a corkscrew. Talonflame gave a fiery flap of its wings, engulfing its body in marvellous flames, and charged its opponent.

The two birds crashed into each other and were both sent reeling.

"Use Brave Bird!" we both called out in unison. Our Pokémon responded.

Charging each other again, both became cloaked in vivid bright light that exploded into a red-orange colour as their wings spread out.

Lorindor seemed to change his mind. "Use night slash!"

As the large black bird sped toward Blaze, its wings turned pitch black gave off a shadowy trail. It pulled up at the last moment and the attack connected with Talonflame's back. Blaze let out an angry screech.

"Blaze! Heat Wave, now!"

It was quick to respond by turning in the air and pumping its powerful wings at the Honchkrow, who had yet to whirl around from its last attack. The scorching hot wind poured over the other bird, setting some of its tail feathers alight.

"Now use Flare Blitz!" I commanded.

Talonflame gave a loud screech to assert its power, before becoming masked in red hot flames that would put any Flame Charge to shame. With a powerful beat of its wings, it charged the Honchkrow.

Lorin called for a dodge, but with Talonflame’s greater speed and Honchkrow’s damaged tail feathers, there was no way it could escape. Blaze rammed its opponent as hard as it could. The black bird spiraled backward.

Out of breath and looking almost finished, it took perch on a pillar. It was covered in scorch marks and didn’t seem to want to battle anymore. I was about to call my final attack when I noticed Talonflame had perched as well.

It was also panting heavily. That Flare Blitz really must have taken a lot out of him. I was honestly expecting it to end the match.

"Sebastian," Lorin called out, "Use Roost!"

That isn’t good.

"Blaze! You need to Roost too!"

My Talonflame looked at me gratefully before closing its eyes. Both birds began to glow as the tension in the room rose. Whoever pulled out of the Roost first would have a big advantage.

Honchkrow’s eyes shot open and Lorin let out a small cheer.

“Use Wing Attack!” he called.

At least I had a move for this!

"Blaze! Sleep Talk!" I called out.

Still asleep, Blaze stood as tall as it could and released a torrent of searing wind. Heat Wave! But Honchkrow flew directly into the attack, ignoring its newly singeing feathers. Wings spread wide, it rammed heavily into the Talonflame, sending it spiraling off the pillar.

Blaze opened its eyes, righting itself with a single, powerful flap. It screeched angrily as it retook to the air.

“Blaze, use Flame Thrower!” I commanded.

A stream of fire was immediately released from the bird’s beak, licking towards the Honchkrow.

“Sebastian, use Aerial Ace to dodge!”

With the attack’s blinding speed, the raven Pokémon easily evaded the tongues of fire and slammed into my Talonflame from behind. Blaze spiraled downward, but managed to catch himself before hitting the wind tunnels. His flight was crooked and were not in a good spot for the next attacks.

“Use Acrobatics! You need to get above him!” I called.

“Counter with Hyper Beam!” Lorin ordered.

_No!_

“Pull up, Blaze!” I cried, but it was too late. Blaze was just about to strike and the Hyper Beam hit at point blank range, crushing it’s target out of the sky and through one of the rock pillars.

I called to the Pokemon as the dust cleared, but he laid unresponsive in a pile of rubble.

"Talonflame is unable to battle! Lorindor and Honchkrow win!” the referee announced.

"Our champion of this year’s graduating class, ladies and gentlemen, is Lorindor Notaro!" Madame Crystal’s voice called over the cheering crowd. I clenched my jaw and swallowed hard.

Recalling Talonflame, I whispered softly, "Thank you so much Blaze. I'm sorry I wasn't a better trainer. I think you really could have won under the command of someone else."

The platforms began to lower until everything was level and the field returned to its normal state. I looked up sadly as the roof closed over our heads. When the last strip of blue was no longer visible, I turned to leave.

"Scout!" I looked up to see Lorin walking over. "That was a good battle! If Honchkrow hadn't pulled through on that Hyper Beam, you definitely would have had me."

"Thanks," I replied with a smile. "And congratulations. You had some great strategies out there."

"Thanks," he said as he held out his hand to shake mine. I took it and he returned my smile. The crowd cheered even louder.

“But next time,” I continued, “it won’t be so close!”

“You’re right. Next time I’ll be sure to take you out quicker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading ^_^  
> I'll see you next time with Chapter 8: Graduation


	9. Chapter 8 - Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post! Life got really busy this past month!

Three days after the tournament, the scores had finally posted. Anne, Lorin and I had passed the Battle Exam with flying colours! I didn’t doubt we would pass, but actually knowing our marks settled the anxiety that had planted itself in my brain. I was also exceedingly pleased to see Danny’s name on the list. I could now look forward to the grad ceremonies without worries! In a week’s time I’d have my first Pokémon and finally set out on my own journey! The long wait between the tournament and graduation was excruciating -- and not just for the students. Many guild members were excited to see who would be joining their ranks and wanted to get the first choice of apprentices. Finally, the week passed and the ceremony would take place the following morning.

I laid in my bed that night and suddenly remembered sitting in front of my TV, staring in horror as the Guild System passed. I had thought that eight years was an eternity -- that I would never start my journey. But looking back on it, I realized that that had been the beginning of my journey. I failed to see it all those years ago, but as I thought of Light and Enkay and Anne and even Lorin, I couldn’t help but smile.

I may never have met any of them if it weren’t for the Balance Guild. I realized that I wouldn’t change a single moment. My eyes closed as I listened to Anne’s soft snores and, with a contented sigh and a smile gracing my lips, I fell asleep.

* * *

_A familiar trainer and her Pokémon looked out over the lands as they fell into chaos. Soot spewed out of the volcano, blanketing the sky in a black shroud. The dark sea raged against it, the ferocious waves growing larger. Freezing rain fell in vicious torrents, stinging the girl’s eyes and skin. Her heart was beating painfully hard as water and blood streamed down her face, nearly blinding her, but she ignored it. Leaning further into the soaked feathers beneath her, she began to say something to the Pidgeot, but her voice was muffled by the loud howl of the world around them. The fierce wind threatened to cast them both out of the sky, but the bird Pokémon bravely surged on._

Without warning, a loud screech cut sharply through the storm, causing rider and Pokémon to cringe. A Staraptor suddenly appeared, launching itself at the pair from above, talons extended. The girl cried out as the blade-like claws made contact with her shoulder. Before she could recover from the blow, the black raptor was making another dive.   
In a desperate attempt to protect his master, Pidgeot pivoted in the air, extending his own talons. Unable to grip the feathers now slick with both rain and blood, the trainer slid off her mount. She called out to it hopelessly as she plummeted toward the angry sea...

* * *

I gasped awake, reaching out for something -- anything! My hand met something solid and warm. I began to register the world around me.

Anne.

I was holding Anne’s shoulder. She looked concerned…she was saying something…

“What?” I ask groggily, releasing her shoulder and rubbing my eyes.

“You were crying out in your sleep again,” she repeats herself. “Are you sure you’re alright? I think these nightmares are getting worse, or at least more frequent.”

I scowl at her. I couldn’t even remember what I had been dreaming about.

“I’m fine,” I said unconvincingly, shaking my head to clear it. “I’m sorry for waking you. What time is it?”

“Seven,” she says, still looking at me with concern.

I nod, rubbing my eyes again. “Then we should be getting up anyway. Wouldn’t want to be late for our own graduation.”

Anne quietly agreed and hopped off my bed, allowing me to throw off my blankets.

The rest of the morning was a blur. I remember Anne and I helping each other get ready for the ceremony, putting our cap and gowns on over light sundresses. I curled my hair and Anne left hers down, allowing it to flow around her shoulders. We didn’t really say much; I was too lost in thought to even to notice her frequent glances cast my way and she was too worried about upsetting me to push any further.

The long ceremony took place in the guild’s extravagant ballroom. The circular room looked like something out of a fairy tale, with roof-high windows and marble pillars lining it. Chairs had been set up on the dance floor facing the stage where all the grads sat. The room seemed extremely crowded, despite its large size. I couldn’t understand why. Who would want to sit through a three hour ceremony if they didn’t have to? And as should be expected, it was boring and full of speeches and thank-yous that no one cared for, but were all -- as we had been assured -- “necessary formalities”.

I tuned most of it out, despite the speaker being one of my favourite professors. He taught PokéWorld History and was always extremely passionate when he spoke -- an obvious choice for the ceremony speaker. Unfortunately, even his admirable passion could not keep my interest. I was only able to tear myself out of my thoughts and listen intently when the awards were about to be given out.

Those who won awards would get first claim on the Pokémon starters so it was a big deal.

“The Balance Guild will be giving out five awards this year: The Battle Award, The Care of Pokémon Award, The History Award, The Pokémon Biology and Classification Award, and The Highest Average Award,” Mr. Christie said enthusiastically. “It would be my honour to call up our esteemed Guild Leader Scott to bestow the awards.”

A lean young man with short cropped blonde hair, a serious air, and intense green-grey eyes stood from his place at the front of the audience and walked onto the stage. He accepted the microphone from the other man with a quiet thanks and gave a nod to the crowd in front of him and the graduating students seated on either side of the stage.

“First I’d like to congratulate all our graduating students. I know you were the first year to be held to the guild system and that, though you may not have agreed with it, you worked hard and have come a long way to earn a Pokémon companion and you all have earned it without a doubt,” he spoke so formally, I nearly giggled. Everyone knew he hated speaking in front of so many people. All of Petalburg and then some must have been here! “Next, I’d like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate our grads and their success.”  
“Now,” he said, clearing his throat, “onto the awards. Please hold your applause until all awards have been handed out.”

I shifted to the front of my seat as Mr. Christie handed him five envelopes. Opening the first, Scott read out, “The Battle Award goes to Clarke Thomas of the Ruby Dorm.”

I rolled my eyes as the boy made a show of getting up and approaching the Guild Leader. Having beaten him many times in the past myself, I didn’t believe he really deserved the award. He had always been the Battle Instructor’s favourite so I wasn’t really shocked, just a little indignant.

“Of course Clarke frickin’ Thomas would win that award,” Lorin whispered in my ear. I snorted as my eyes sought out Anne, who was making a face of distaste. She wasn’t alone, either. Many other students held the same expression. I grinned. Apparently a lot of people noticed his unfair treatment.

As Clarke walked back to his seat, Leader Scott opened the next envelope. “The History Award goes to Lorindor Notaro of the Ruby Dorm.”

Lorin grinned, completely unsurprised, and stood to retrieve his award.

“Congrats,” I said as he sat down beside me once more.

“Thanks,” he whispered back. “You better receive one too; wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings by beating you out again.”

I discreetly made a certain rude gesture at him, to which he chuckled.

“--Anne Attfield of the Sapphire Dorm,” Scott finished saying.

My gaze immediately shifted to Anne, who sat looking like a deer in headlights. She slowly stood up, hating every second that she held the attention of the very large room. She plastered a false smile on her face as she accepted her award before quickly returning to her seat.

“The Biology and Classification of Pokémon award goes to Scout Norwood of the Sapphire Dorm,” Scott said, sounding just slightly prouder than he had over the other awards.  
I smiled excitedly as I stood from my place and approached him. Shaking his hand, I accepted my award and returned to my seat.

“And finally, last, but definitely not least, The Highest Average Award,” the Guild Leader was saying as he opened the envelope. “And it goes again to Lorindor Notaro of the Ruby Dorm.”

My jaw dropped and Lorin looked at me smugly. “I guess I beat you anyway,” he muttered.

In retaliation, I stuck out my foot as he began making his way to the front of stage, causing him to stumble. He gave me a sharp glare, which I met with an innocent smile. He rolled his eyes and walked away to accept his award.

Once he had returned to his seat, we were all asked to stand.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I give you this year’s graduating class!”

Everyone cheered as we threw our caps, formed two rows, and walked through the centre of the room and out the door. The large crowd exited the ballroom behind us and as we returned our grad gowns, they were ushered down the stairs to the Dining Hall where the kitchen staff had prepared a celebratory feast for the entire guild, all the visitors, and everyone’s Pokémon.

My whole family had shown up, including my older sister, who had said she would be unable to attend due to her responsibilities as a member of the Elite Four in Kanto. The surprise of her being there brought me to tears as I ran into her arms, laughing joyfully. I couldn’t even be upset that she had tricked me.

My younger siblings swarmed my friends and me, asking when we were getting our Pokémon and what we were hoping for. I chuckled, feeling strangely not annoyed and answered their questions as patiently as I could until my parents stepped in and told them to give us some space.

I introduced Lorin to my parents and elder sister. Both women gave me a significant look, which I scowled at and shook my head.

“What?” Lorin asked, completely confused.

“Nothing,” I replied quickly and gratefully turned to Enkay who was making her loud as ever entrance.

“Annie! Scout! My babies!” she cried as she pulled us both into a bear hug, nearly suffocating us with boobs that definitely belonged in an anime. “Congrats!”

“Thanks,” I said, pushing away from her, “but I’d like to live long enough to receive my first Pokémon, if you don’t mind.”

She laughed and let us go.

“Car bink bink!” an excited voice called from over her shoulder.

“Thanks Miro,” I smiled and pet the gentle Carbink. Anne also thanked him and gave him a pat on the head.

“Have you seen Light?” I asked the older girl.

“He was there for the ceremony, but rushed out immediately afterward. Said something about an urgent secret mission the Guild Leader had requested he do.”

“Oh,” I said, a little downcast.

“Light?” my mother asked mischievously. I rolled my eyes, but otherwise ignored her, instead choosing to take the lead in finding a place to sit.

The Dining Hall was packed and the mood was festive as everyone enjoyed the meal and company. After the meal, we left the hall and made our way back toward the ballroom. The guests and guild members in attendance were let into the upper balcony that wrapped around the circumference of the room. Any overflow was placed around the lower level.  
The students were led into a separate room that served as a sort of backstage lounge. The noise in the lounge steadily grew with the grads’ anticipation. We were finally here: the next stage in becoming a fully-fledged guild trainer. Even Anne was getting bubbly from the excitement.

“Excuse me students!” a voice called. We all turned to see Professor Christie standing near the door that led into the ballroom. “This is going to work rather simply and though we’ve already drilled you on how this will go, I will say it again: in turn, you will be released into the ballroom where specially bred eggs are waiting to be claimed.”

Confused murmurs broke out among the students. Eggs? Eggs hadn’t been mentioned during our practices and preparations…

“Yes, they will be eggs; one for each of you,” Christie said with a grin on his face. “And they will be unmarked.”

“So…how will we know what Pokémon we’re getting?” a student asked.

“You won’t,” was the simple reply. “Your job is to choose an egg, hatch it, then find a mentor that you will travel with until you receive the eight badges.”

“Well that isn’t fair! What if we get a shit Pokémon!?”

“I don’t think it matters what Pokémon we get, we'll be trainers either way and all Pokémon have their value” a quiet, nervous voice said.

“Oh shut up Danny! No one even knows why you’re here! You couldn’t battle to save your life,” the first student snapped. A few of our classmates laughed.

Anger swelled in my chest. Stepping forward, I placed a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “He’s here because he proved he understands and loves Pokémon more than most fully-fledged trainers do. If you think raising Pokémon is solely about battling, then I don’t know why you’re here.”

Silence.

“She’s right,” Christie said, glaring at the student, who dropped their gaze in embarrassment.

“Of course,” he continued, “If you remember the identifying eggs section of your biology class, you should be able to at least know what egg group you are taking from.”

Anne, Lorin, and I exchanged glances. It is nearly impossible to tell what exact Pokémon will hatch from an egg, but knowing the egg groups can give one a pretty good idea of what type or shape of Pokémon will hatch.

“Now,” Professor Christie said, “would the four students who won awards please come forward.”

Clarke, Lorin, Anne, and I made our way to the front of the group.

“Congratulations again on your awards, you four,” Christie said, smiling at each of us. “As your reward, you will be first in the ballroom to pick your eggs. Once you have done so, please make your way to the upper level to watch the other students.” With that, he opened the door motioned for us to step through.

“What group are you guys going to choose?” I asked.

Clarke looked at me with distain and walked ahead of us. All three of us rolled our eyes.

Lorin thought for a moment as we began walking before answering, “I think I’m going to choose an Amorphous Egg.”

Anne shrugged, “I’ll grab whatever one I feel drawn to the most.”

I let out a small laugh, “Fair enough.”

“What about you?” Lorin asked.

“I think I’ll go with a Field Egg. It leaves a pretty wide opening for a lot of different Pokémon,” I replied.

As we entered the ballroom, I looked around. The upper level was crammed with guild members and families of the grads. Spotting my own family, I smiled and gave a small wave.   
In the centre of the room sat thirty Pokémon eggs from different groups. I immediately identified the white and green field eggs.

When we reached them, Lorin grabbed one almost immediately. It was dark purple and looked more like a cluster of condensed fog rather than an egg. I took longer, looking over each Field Egg for anything that might give away what was inside. Expectedly, there was nothing. Clarke snorted at me as he grabbed one and walked toward the stairs to the upper level. I ignored him.

After a couple minutes of deliberation, I took one that was slightly smaller than the others, then looked to see if Anne had chosen one yet. She hadn’t, but I wasn’t surprised. She had never been very good at making decisions, preferring to always remain neutral. I could almost see the turmoil inside her as she ran a hand over each egg.

Finally, she stopped at one, giving it a curious look. It was one of the Field Eggs I had been looking at. Grinning, she picked it up and tucked it into her chest and skipped over to me. As we made our way up the stairs, the next round of graduates was let into the room, but I paid them little attention. I was too busy looking at my egg in wonder, tears nearly welling up in my eyes.

My moment had finally come after so many years! No matter what hatched from this egg, I’d be a Pokémon trainer!


	10. Chapter 9 - Mischief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't posted in a while--School went from naught to 100 real quick and I have had very little spare time, but I'm going to keep trying to post when I can!  
> Please enjoy!

I paced back and forth deep in the guild garden’s hedge mazes, attempting to let off some frustration. The particular maze I had chosen was the largest and most complicated. No one could bug me here. In its centre rested a small but beautiful spring-fed lake. Goldeen could be seen lazily swimming through the clear water, carefully watched by a single Seaking.

Gripping my egg to my chest, I sighed heavily and slumped down on the grassy shore of the lake, my feet barely outside of the water. A Pidgeotto with a blue bandana around its neck landed beside me and cocked its head. It was the very same Pokémon that had befriended eight years ago when I pouted in the garden, not wanting to start school at the guild. It had always there when I went into the gardens.

“Hi Angel,” I said miserably and stroked its back a few times before returning my hand to the egg on my lap. Giving a soft coo, the bird Pokémon bent its head to examine the green and white shell.

“You don’t suppose it’s close to hatching, do you?” I asked.

“Geo…” the bird replied and nudged my face with its beak. When I didn’t respond, it gave me a small nip and looked at me with concern.

“I’m fine,” I stated, “Just a little frustrated is all.”

The bird cocked its head.

I sighed again. “I’ve hardly had any sleep for the past few weeks. Anne says I keep waking up from nightmares, but as soon as I’m awake, I can’t remember a thing. On top of that, my stupid egg just isn’t hatching! People are saying I mustn’t be taking care of it properly! I’ve been hatching eggs my entire life; my mother is a freaking Pokémon breeder! I know how to care for one!”

I held up the offending object and glared at it before carefully tucking it back into my chest and hugging it firmly.

“Everyone else’s has hatched…Anne’s hatched nearly a week ago into an adorable little Zorua and Lorin’s hatched just a few days before that into a Gastly. I guess I’ve kind of been avoiding them because it makes me too impatient for my own to hatch…Anne took Enkay as a mentor and has gone out on missions already so they’ve rarely been around and when they are, they just won’t stop talking about whatever mission they’ve just returned from. I feel like I’ve been left behind and forgotten…”

The Pidgeotto watched me intently as I spoke. When I fell silent, it clicked its beak and jumped into the air. I flopped onto my side with a heavy sigh and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Gripping my egg tighter to my chest, I closed my eyes.

I don’t know how much time passed before I once again heard the powerful wingbeats of a bird Pokémon.

“Angel?” I asked hopefully, beginning to sit up.

“Not quite,” a deep, almost musical sounding voice replied.

Startled, I whipped around to see Light hopping off of his Talonflame. I relaxed and turned back to the lake after offering a quiet greeting.  
“I was pretty concerned when that Pidgeotto of yours came and got me,” he said, sitting beside me.

“It isn’t mine,” I responded on reflex before I actually registered what he had said. “Wait. Angel went and found you?”

He made a noise of confirmation. “He was pretty adamant too. I was worried that you had gotten hurt again.”

“Again?”

“Yeah. Like that time back in your first year.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are the chances that that would happen again?”

He simply shrugged and elected to change the subject. “Well since you're safe physically, what is bothering you?”

I told him exactly what I had told Angel.

He thought for a moment before saying softly, “You haven’t been forgotten. I don’t know about Lorindor, but Anne and Enkay your best friends. They wouldn’t forget you.”  
I didn’t respond.

“Do you have any ideas on who you want to be your mentor when that thing does hatch?” he asked, trying to distract me.

I shrugged. “Since Anne took Enkay, no, not really…”

“You’re still a terrible liar.”

“Am not,” I said stubbornly. “You can just read me like a book. I can lie just fine to everyone else.”

“Or maybe I’m just the only one brave enough to point out your horrible lies,” he quipped. “You may have stopped stuttering, but you’re face gets all funny looking.”

I shoved him onto his side. He chuckled as he sat back up and I couldn’t help but smile myself.

“So?”

I thought for a moment before beginning cautiously, “Well, I was hoping…”

He looked at me expectantly.

“Nevermind. Don’t worry about it,” I said, looking away from him. There’s no way.

“No no no, tell me who!” he playfully demanded.

“Well…I was hoping you would agree to…” I replied quietly.

His grin widened, though I was still avoiding looking at him so I failed to see it. “Me?”

“I know you said that you never want an apprentice, but I thought that maybe you’d make an exception because you’ve known me for so long and I’ve always looked up to you so much and you act so much like a mentor to me anyways…” I spoke really fast before trailing off. Light said nothing, but when I finally worked up the nerve to look at him, he was smiling brilliantly.

“You thought of me as a mentor all these years?” he asked in wonder.

I shrugged, “Well, yeah…”

“Then I better not disappoint you!” He suddenly jumped to his feet with a smile.

I looked up at him, perplexed. “so, you’ll--?”

“I’d be honoured to be your mentor,” he confirmed, offering me a hand. I took it, grinning wildly. “Now as your mentor, may I see your egg?”

I handed it to him, but added, “I don’t think you achieve official mentor status until it hatches.”

He waved me off as he took it.

I chuckled, but otherwise remained silent as I watched him examine my egg closely, turning it over in his hands. Gently, he handed it back to me.

“Why don’t you go for a fly on Axe?”

“Why…?” I inquired.

“Just go for a fly and make sure the egg stays in contact with his feathers. Meet me back at the Emerald Lounge when it’s time,” he said vaguely as he started walking back into the maze.

Confused, I clambered onto the fire bird’s back. “Do you know your way out of this maze?”

“I saw it as I was flying over; I’m sure I can find my way out. If not I’ll get my Gardevior to teleport me back. Have a fun flight,” he said as he waved over his shoulder.

“Thanks, though I still don’t understand why…”

“You’ll figure it out. See you back at the guild!” he called as he rounded a corner out of sight.

“Well someone’s being terribly cryptic,” I grumbled. “Come one Axe.”

I squeezed slightly with my knees and within seconds, I was soaring far above the treeline, my egg pressed between Axe’s back and my own chest. We soared for hours, dipping in and out of the clouds, skimming the lake in Petalburg, dancing through the sky. I don’t know how long we flew, but the longer we were up there, the more I relaxed. Warmth seeped through the Talonflame’s feathers, keeping me from feeling the cold of the higher currents. I closed my eyes and nestled further into the soft plumage with a content sigh.

Suddenly, my egg moved!

I was so shocked I sat straight up, nearly dropping it in the process. Then I clued in: Axe must have the ability Flame Body! Light wasn’t sending me for a joyride to simply clear my mind -- he was helping me hatch my egg faster! I smiled like the idiot I felt like in that moment. How could I not have realized sooner!?

“Axe!” I called. “We need to get back to the Guild as fast as possible!”

“Flame!” It responded before releasing a sharp cry and launching itself through the air at speeds that nearly knocked me off its back. It felt like seconds before we were landing on the large balcony that led into the Emerald Dorms.

I jumped off the bird’s back and ran inside, scanning the room for Light. He was sitting in the far corner--the best place in the room to watch all the entrances and have no one sneak up behind you. He looked at me with a knowing grin as I ran up.

“It’s hatching!” I cried happily, holding my egg out for him to see it move. All the inhabitants of the room looked up curiously. What would the runner-up’s first Pokémon be?

I sat down beside Light and we both watched intently as cracks formed across the smooth surface. There was a flash of light similar to when a Pokémon is released from its ball and the shell dissolved into the air. When the light faded, I was able to see the baby Pokémon resting in my hands. I began to tear up.

An Eevee. A perfect, beautiful, fluffy little Eevee.

It blinked open its tiny eyes and looked directly at me. I couldn’t help but laugh and tears began to drip down my cheeks. “Hello little Eevee.”

I raised a finger to pet its chin and--

_Chomp!_

It firmly clamped its teeth around my finger and gave me a look that could only be described as…an evil smirk?

Light laughed. “Looks like this one’s got a bit of a naughty nature.”

I removed my finger from the little fox’s mouth, earning myself a glare from it, and cuddled the tiny creature into my neck. It seemed to not mind this new position and quickly fell asleep.

“I don’t care what nature it is,” I whispered. “I’m finally a Pokémon trainer.”

Light hummed in agreement and reached over to pet the tiny fuzz ball. “I guess I should formally ask: will you be my apprentice?”

As I quickly agreed, grumbling could be hear from other guild members. Being runner-up made me a pretty desirable apprentice, but it’s against the guild rules to ask a student to be an apprentice before their egg hatches. Those that had been waiting to acquire an apprentice until my egg hatched were now out of luck. Given that mine was the last of the class to hatch, they’d all have to wait another year.

* * *

“Grrrr! Come here you little monster!” I called as my young Eevee tore through the Emerald Lounge, gaining stares and agitated comments from the other guild members. I tried recalling it into its Pokéball, but it just popped out again and continued its destructive rampage. I was left trying to catch the little creature by hand. Many of the other trainers in the room were casting me disapproving glances while whispering to whomever they were with. I was sure they thought I shouldn’t have passed my trainer exams… Others were less covert and just yelled at me to get the thing under control. I ignored them all.

I huffed as the fluffy creature evaded another one of my lunges. Of course I’d get a naughty natured Pokémon with a run away ability! I thought glumly. This wouldn’t be quite so humiliating if Anne and Lorin weren’t standing in the entrance laughing their arses off as they waited for me to wrangle my handful of a Pokémon.

Of course both of their Pokémon were behaving perfectly. Anne’s Zorua, Luka, was sitting in her arms patiently and Jack, Lorin’s Gastly, was hovering close by, restraining himself from joining in the fun.

“You guys could help, you know?” I rounded on them in exasperation.

“Nah!” Lorin replied with his toothy werewolf grin.

“This is way to amusing,” Anne agreed.

Growling, I tried to grab for Eevee again. She jumped on top of one of the bookshelves and looked down at me with a smirk.

“Please, Eevee!” I begged, trying to change my tactics, “We were supposed to meet Light in the mission room half an hour ago! Don’t you ever want to go out on a mission and get stronger?”

The little fox tilted her head, appearing to be contemplating what I said. After a long moment--which I’m sure was just to irritate me--she gracefully jumped off the shelf, landing by the entrance to the lounge. She gazed back at me with a mocking expression as though to say, “Aren’t you coming?”

I angrily muttered out a few curses with unintellectual words mixed in. Feigning to wring her little neck, I took a step toward her.

“Eev!” she cried, giving me an innocent smile as she slightly moved her paw.

“Don’t. You. Dare.”

Her grin grew wider and, before I could take another step forward, she took off running down the hall.

“Get back here you rotten little fur ball!” I called as I ran after her, ignoring my friends’ roaring laughter and the sneers of the older trainers.

Eevee continued to run ahead of me as I yelled all kinds of threats and curses at her. Fortunately for me, she stopped just outside of the mission room.

“Ha!” I cried triumphantly as I scooped her into my arms.

“Eee…” she whined sadly.

“You’re lucky I don’t take you out into the woods and leave you there -- try again next year for a better behaved Pokémon!” I threatened.

“Veee?” she cried as she gasped dramatically, placing a paw over her mouth.

Growling, I tucked her under my arm and entered to room. Light was in front of the large digital screen, looking over the jobs.

Upon seeing him, my mood drastically lifted; I was finally going on a mission!

Both Lorin and Anne had already been on a few more since Eevee has hatched. They had even collected their first badge. I, however, had been stuck behind at the guild. Light wanted to make sure my Eevee was strong enough to handle a fight if one came up so I had to spend the past few weeks training while my friends were out exploring the world.

At least the rotten little creature somewhat listened to me during battle…

Turning to me, Light grinned. “That Eevee giving you trouble again?” he asked, obviously amused.

“Yes,” I stated, holding the creature out at arm’s length, glaring at her. “I’ve spent the past thirty minutes trying to stop her from running rampant in the lounge!”

Light laughed, “I can imagine.”

“That’s why we’re late,” I explained apologetically.

“It’s all good. Don’t worry about it,” Light shrugged. “Though you know, she might listen a little better if you give her a name. It usually endears a trainer to the Pokémon, making them easier to manage.”

“A name, huh?” I looked at my Eevee, who stuck her tongue out at me before grinning. I scowled and tucked her back under my arm. “I’ll have to think about that. In the meantime, what missions are we looking at?”

“I think a simple D Rank would be the best for your first time,” he said, narrowing the mission search to D-Ranks.

I looked through each mission, reading them carefully.

“Um…this one,” I said, picking a less difficult, but high paying one. The file read: _A PokeMart was broken into last night at about 12:30 AM. The shop was vandalized, though it is unsure if anything was taken. Police believe it was a couple teens causing trouble and doubt it was anything more. A small bag was left behind at the scene. Police would like help doing an inventory of supplies and tracking down the perpetrators._

_Requirements: A Pokémon with tracking abilities._

“What do you think Eevee? Could you track down some baddies?”

“Vee!” the little Eevee cried, squirming excitedly in my grasp.

Light chuckled. “I do believe that means yes. Just hit this button to print it and go collect it from the--”

“I’ll take that, thank you very much!” A delicate hand snatched the printing sheets before I could grab them. I looked up in shock and indignation. I was even more shocked to see a girl small features, fair skin, and platinum blonde hair. She would have been very beautiful if not for the disdainful sneer that marred her face.

“Come on Clarisse, give it back. Scout chose the mission before you.”

“That’s Lady Clarisse to you. Besides, it’s not like a peasant like her with her mongrel pup could complete this mission anyway. The thing looks too dumb to find its own tail, never mind a dangerous criminal. Its sire was probably a Magikarp!”

_Dangerous criminal? The file said a couple of teens…_

Eevee jumped out of my arms and began growling at the girl before I could say anything. Clarisse laughed. “Aw, did I make the poor little mutt angry?”

Without further warning, the poor little mutt pounced. Kicking off the arm the girl had put up to defend herself, it landed on her neatly done hair. The girl screamed and tried to knock my Eevee off, but it held firm and she only managed to ruin her hair even more. After a second of surprise, I began to laugh.

“Get this crazed beast off of me!”

I looked to Light who was behind me, laughing as hysterically as Clarisse was screaming. He managed to nod at me and I moved to the girl’s aid.

“Come on fur ball, let go of the mean lady’s hair!” After a second I could see that it had no intention of releasing her any time soon, so I added, “You don’t know what sort of crap she puts in there to make it that colour and I would rather you don’t get sick.”

Seemingly satisfied, the Eevee jumped off the girl’s head into my arms.

The girl screeched hysterically, “How dare you! First your beast attacks me, then you insult the dignity of my hair? I shall talk to the Guild Leader about this!”

I made a mock attempt at looking panicked before rolling my eyes, “You do that.”

“I will have that creature destroyed!” she huffed and tried to straighten her clothes before grabbing my mission and storming out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Light and I broke into laughter once more, not particularly caring about our lost mission.

I held Eevee in the air and exclaimed, “You’re mischief. You know that?”

“Vee!” It cried happily and waved its tail.

“I think you just found a name for her,” Light said, regaining control.

“Mischief?” I pondered, looking back at the brown fur ball in my hands.

“Vee vee!” it replied happily, nodding its head.

“Alright then Mischief! Let’s choose our first mission since the mean lady took our other one.”

“Eevee!”


	11. Chapter 10 - Beginning of the End Part 1

“Angel!” I called, running out into the guild gardens, Mischief gripped firmly in my one arm. “Angel! Where are you?”

The unmistakable sound of wing beats was my answer. The large brown and red bird swooped out of the sky and hovered in front of me.

“Hello Angel.”

“Pidgeooh!”

“I know it’s been a while since I’ve come to visit. I’ve been really busy training. But now I’m about to set out on my first mission and I talked to the Guild Leader and he gave me permission to capture you, and, well, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to join me?” I asked as I held up a Pokéball.

“Vee!?” Mischief cried indignantly. She squirmed from my grasp and jumped at the flying Pokémon, biting onto its tail.

“Mischief!” I gasped, dropping the ball in my hand. The Pidgeotto, however, seemed unfazed. Reaching down, it planted a single hard peck to the Eevee’s head. The little fox dropped to the ground and I immediately scooped it back into my arms.

“I am so sorry Angel! Mischief is a bit, well, mischievous…” I apologized, but the bird just looked amused. Swooping down, it landed beside the Pokéball I had dropped and pushed the button with its beak. In a flash of red, it disappeared. The ball shook once before settling.

“Looks like we have a new member of our team, Mischief,” I said as I crouched to pick it up.

“Vee,” the Eevee huffed and looked away from me. I put the ball on my belt and held Mischief out so I could look at her.

“What’s the matter? Shouldn’t you be happy we have a new friend?” I asked with a chuckle. In response, she bit my hand. I dropped her, crying out, “You horrid fur ball! What was that for?”

But she was already gone. As soon as she hit the ground, she pressed the button to her own Pokéball on my belt and disappeared in a flash of red.

“Fine. Be that way you miserable little creature…” I grumbled as I examined the bite. She must be really mad; she even punctured the skin. Blood was welling up and began to drip off my fingers. Sighing, I griped the wounds tightly, trying to apply as much pressure as possible and walked back to the Guild. “I guess I should go see Dr. Lee to get it cleaned up and wrapped.”

* * *

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” I cried as I approached the fountain I was supposed to meet Light by. He was already there, sitting on the fountain’s edge watching a couple Azurill play in the water.

Looking up at me, he raised an eyebrow. “You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago,” he stated.

“I know, I know. I’m so sorry,” I apologized again.

“Let me guess,” he said, an amused smile overtaking his irritated expression, “Mischief?”

I nodded.

“What did she do this time?”

I held up my bandaged hand. “She bit me.”

Light chuckled. “Alright. What did you do?”

“Nothing!” I exclaimed exasperatedly. “I asked Angel if he wanted to join my party, then Mischief bit me! And now look--” I took Mischief’s ball off my belt and pressed the button to release her. It opened in the typical flash of light then closed with Mischief still inside. “She’s giving me the silent treatment!”

Light laughed. “It looks to me like she’s jealous.”

“Why would she be jealous?” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, you do have a stronger bond with that Pidgeotto than you do with her and she’ll sense it,” he stated.

“But she doesn’t even like me! Why would she care if I have a bond with another Pokémon?” I asked, slightly indignant.

“Every Pokémon has some form of loyalty to its trainer, whether or not it likes them. Mischief likes you--she just has a naughty nature so she acts up and gets into trouble,” Light explained patiently. “And though she didn’t seem phased by it, your threat to release her may have scared her just a bit. Then when you went and caught a new Pokémon, it may have scared her even more. Even the smallest part of her may have believed that threat.”

I looked down at the little fox’s Pokéball, guilt gnawing at my stomach. He was right…I had said when she first hatched that I didn’t care what her nature was, but I had been acting like I didn’t want her.

“I’m sorry Mischief…” I whispered.

Light placed his hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him.

“Come on. We have a long way to go if we want to reach Little Root before nightfall,” he said with a warm smile. “And don’t worry too much about Mischief. You learned your lesson; she’ll come around before too long. Pokémon are generally fairly forgiving.”

* * *

Thanks to my delay and a few too many encounters with wild Pokémon (during which Mischief still remained stubbornly in her ball), we entered the city a few hours after nightfall. Fortunately, we had Kai -- Light’s Raichu -- use Flash to help guide us through the wooded paths on our way to Little Root.

Stifling a yawn, Light said, “We’ll spend the night at the Pokémon Centre and go to the Library for our debriefing tomorrow.”

I nodded tiredly, not fully registering what he was saying as I followed him to the red-roofed building. Once inside, we were welcomed warmly and shown to rooms we could use for the duration of our mission. They were small and simple, with nothing but a bed, nightstand, and a nearly empty book shelf, but it was still comfortable. As I closed and locked the door behind me, I let out a deep yawn. It must have been at least one in the morning and we had been walking nearly all day with only short breaks.

I stripped my dirt-covered clothes off and left them in a pile on the floor before tiredly pulling on shorts and a baggy old t-shirt. I clicked the two utilized Pokéballs off my belt and placed them on the nightstand as I sat down on the surprisingly comfortable bed. Yawning again, I flicked off the lamp and laid down. As I closed my eyes, about to succumb to sleep, a bright flash filled the room.

Groaning, I opened my eyes in annoyance, only to see my little Eevee facing toward me on the bed, looking sadly down at the sheets. Remembering what Light had said and seeing her hurt expression, all irritation left my mind. Slowly reaching out, I stroked the top of her head.

Startled, she looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes. And yet, I could still see the doubt there. I smiled softly at her and lifted the blankets with a single arm.  
Her spirits lifted as she happily accepted the invitation I had never offered before. She curled up against my chest. I pulled her into my neck, just as I had done the day she hatched -- my beautiful, naughty, wonderful little Pokémon.

“I won’t ever leave you,” I whispered softly to her. “I may get other Pokémon, but you’ll always be special -- my very first.”

With a contented little sigh, Mischief relaxed completely and fell asleep. I drifted off shortly after.

* * *

_Trainer and Pokémon soared over chaos-filled lands. The entire country seemed to be at war with itself -- and not just its people that were locked in grizzly combat, all rules of engagement forgotten. No, the lands themselves clashed in anger. Soot blanketed the sky in a black shroud so the sun could no longer be seen. The angry sea raged against it, waves growing larger with every moment. Freezing rain fell in sheets, burning the girl’s eyes and skin. Her heart pounded painfully as water and blood crept into her vision. She shook her head, but otherwise ignored it. Leaning further into the soaked feathers beneath her, she began to say something to the Pidgeot. However, the thunder claps cut over her voice, making it impossible to be heard._

Fierce winds threatened to cast the intruders out of the sky, but the bird Pokémon bravely surged on.

A loud screech cut sharply through the thundering and roaring of the world. Rider and Pokémon cringed as a Staraptor suddenly appeared, launching itself at the pair from above, talons extended. The girl cried out as the blade-like claws made contact with her shoulder.

Before she could recover from the blow, the black raptor was making another dive. In a desperate attempt to protect his master, Pidgeot pivoted in the air, extending his own talons.

The girl was unable to grip the feathers now slick with rain and blood. She slid off her mount and plummeted helplessly toward the raging sea bellow...

_SMASH!!!_

My eyes shot open. I found myself sitting up in bed, hands extended as though I was trying to grab something. I blinked in confusion and lowered my arms.

_CRASH!!!_

My attention was suddenly drawn to the room around me. It was completely trashed! The bookshelf had been knocked over, the lamp was on the ground (thankfully unbroken), the contents of my bag strewn out across the floor and bed, and in the middle of it all were my two monsters glaring at each other.

Grabbing the ball that remained on the nightstand, I began scolding the two. “Angel! I expect this sort of behaviour from Mischief at this point, but you? Really?”

Both Pokémon turned to me, very much resembling a couple of startled Sentret. “Return!” I called. In a flash of red, the bird was gone. “Now you,” I said sternly, looking at the Eevee. “What did you do with your ball?”

She huffed and turned her head away from me.

I growled and rubbed my eyes. “Please? It’s too early for this,” I grumbled. “I need to get this cleaned up and you need to be out of the way. I’ll call you out again before Light and I leave on our mission.”

Mischief walked over to the downed shelves, prodded it with her paw, then looked up at me.  
“Is it under there,” I asked, narrowing my eyes. The Eevee nodded. Sighing, I threw my blankets off and stood up. I walked over to the shelf and heaved it back into its original position.

“Mischief!” I cried, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you, you terrible little puff ball?”

“Vee,” she said stubbornly, puffing out her cheeks. She had crushed the ball, breaking it in half by knocking the shelf on top of it. I sighed again and picked her up, holding her out so I could look her in the face. “I know you don’t like your Pokéball, but you can’t just destroy it!”

“Vee.”

“Is this why you and Angel got into a fight?”

“Vee…” she looked away from me.

“Right.” I said, hugging her to my chest. “How about making a deal? I keep you out of your ball as much as possible, and you don’t destroy them anymore? They’re kind of expensive. Deal?”

I felt the Eevee sigh.  
“Deal?” I asked again, a little more forcefully.

“Ee-Vee…” Mischief replied quietly, nodding her head.

“Good,” I said, placing her on the bed. “Now let’s get this mess cleaned up and we’ll go meet Light for some breakfast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! It was a little slower, but I think it was good to see a bit of the relationship between Scout and Mischief more than them just aggravating each other.  
> I’m also excited to see how Mischief’s and Angel’s relationship will turn out. I didn’t plan that rivalry at all, it kinda just…happened. It’s funny how characters will do that; it’s like they have a mind of their own sometimes.  
> I’ll see you guys next time with Chapter 11 – Beginning of the End: Part 2


	12. Chapter 11 - Beginning of the End Part 2

The library was easy enough to find. It was a large, beautiful, multi-story building with extravagant gardens right in the middle of the town. According to the sign and dedication at the entrance, it was built on the spot the old champion’s home used to be. Though I wasn’t sure why they called it a library; the term museum would have been far more appropriate. There were many books lining the three galleries, but the rest was comprised of displays ranging from stones and fossils to works of art.

As we started up the steps to the entrance, a stuffy, pompous-looking man hurried up to us. “Excuse me! Can’t you read!?” he called angrily.

I looked at him in surprise as he stopped in front of us.

“That,” he said, disdainfully pointing at the Eevee perched atop my shoulder, “needs to go in its ball. I won’t have those vile creatures in my library! All the noise and the battling! Violent little monsters is what they are!!”

“Vee!” my Eevee cried indignantly and looked up at me.

“Battling?” I responded, reigning in my own flare of anger. “I’m here for a mission. I don’t plan on battling. Besides, Mischief hates her ball.”

“I don’t care what it hates, it is not entering! I run this place and therefore, my rules go,” he huffed. “Now be gone with the beast or you will be denied entry.”

I drooped my shoulders and looked helplessly at Light. Light had bought me a brand new luxury ball for Mischief so she’d be more comfortable, but I still felt terrible about having to go back on my promise already, but I also couldn’t blow the mission. Light, however, must have decided he had had enough. He put his hand on my shoulder and stepped forward.

“Excuse me,” he said to the owner, who looked at him with contempt. “We are guild trainers recruited by the May Stone Library for security this evening. Our Pokémon are the reason we were called in rather than your every day security guards; we will need them with us if we are to protect you to our fullest capability. Now, unless you want us to turn around and go home, leaving you entirely vulnerable tonight, you will let my apprentice and her Eevee through.”

The man’s face went from a flushed red to an infuriated purple.

And yet Light had a point that he could not argue with. With an indignant huff, the man strutted away, allowing us access to the building.

“Ee-Vee!” Mischief cried snidely at the man’s retreating form. He stopped for a moment, but didn’t look back before he kept walking.

I looked up at Light and grinned. He returned my look with a chuckle. “Come on,” he said, ruffling Mischief’s fur and continuing forward.

As we entered the May Stone, we were greeted by a bubbly-looking young woman with shoulder-length, green tipped auburn hair.

“Light! Scout! We’ve been expecting you!” she called to us. “I trust you had a pleasant trip?”

“Pleasant enough,” Light replied with a smile. “And you are?”

“I’m Kimi! I was sent here to wait for you,” she started to introduce herself before she noticed Mischief. “Oh! What a beautiful Eevee! May I pet her?”

“Sure,” I said a little uncertainly, “but I can’t promise she won’t bite. She’s got a bit of a naughty nature.” I showed her my still bandaged hand.

She withdrew her hand with a slight grimace. “Perhaps I better not. I’ll just take you to the General; Please, follow me!” she chirped energetically and began walking further into the extravagant building. She led us through the reception hall to a door hidden behind a tapestry depicting a young Champion May battling with Kyogre.

Through the door, a flight of stairs led to a simple, undecorated basement that held piles of unused construction material and dozens of boxes containing all sorts of artifacts.

“You’re a little later than we expected,” the girl broke the silence as we walked through the storage area. She sounded pleasant enough, but was clearly concerned and wanted an explanation.

“Yes, we apologize for that,” Light responded. “We had a bit of an incident at the Pokémon Centre this morning. It took a bit to get everything sorted.”

“Oh no! I hope no one was hurt,” she said, now thoroughly concerned.

“Not at all,” Light assured. “Just some property damage and a couple upset Pokémon.”

“Vee.” Mischief huffed.

“I’m glad to hear,” Kimi smiled as she stopped outside an office door at the back of the basement. She knocked and a muffled “come in” was heard from the other side.

The girl opened the door and introduced us. “General Lynn, this is Light of the Balance Guild and his apprentice, Scout. Light, Scout, this is General Lynn of the Hoenn League Special Poke-Force and guild trainer of the Feather Guild.”

“Thank you Kimi,” the General said. “You can go look at the exhibits now if you’d like. I’ll send Sullivan to get you when we’re done here.” Upon hearing its name, an elderly Mightyena that was lying beside her desk lifted his head, then puffed and laid back down when no one asked anything from him. Mischief let out a quiet growl, but I quickly silenced her with a sharp hiss and a tap on the nose. She glared at me, but stopped growling.

“Yay!” Kimi cried and skipped out of the room.

The general was a severe looking woman with silver hair tied into a tight bun and an unamused expression on her wrinkled face. She stood to shake our hands and gave us each a quick nod.

“Welcome. Please take a seat,” the general said--her voice surprisingly soft--gesturing to a couple chairs in front of her desk. We complied with a quiet word of thanks. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get straight to business. As you already know, tonight is the grand opening of the May Stone Library in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the day Former Champion May defeated Teams Magma and Aqua. The former champion herself will be our guest of honour.”

Light and I nodded.

“That was all in the case file,” Light said.

General Lynn nodded. “What we didn’t put in the mission file is that the Red and Blue Orbs will also be on display--”

“You mean the Red and Blue Orbs Team Aqua and Magma tried to use to control Kyogre and Groudon?” I interrupted.

The woman turned her serious stare to me and I was afraid she was going to scold me for my outburst. I flushed and looked away from her steely gaze.

She surprised me by chuckling and asking, “You know the story well?”

“Yes sir--ma’am,” I replied meekly.

Light chuckled as well. “She’s a serious history nerd. She was runner-up for the PokéWorld History Award at the Balance Guild School.”

My blush grew deeper.

“That’s good,” said the general. “It’s not often you find a smart one so young. That’s less I have to explain, but I’ll still give a short version: Team Aqua and Magma both had different ideas about the perfect world. Aqua wanted to harness Kyogre’s power to increase the area of the oceans and create more habitat for their beloved marine Pokémon. Magma, had a similar idea, except in the opposite direction. They wanted to awaken Groudon to provide more land for their Pokémon. To do this, they needed special orbs that would allow them to control the great Pokémon of legend. They did acquire them and woke the two legendary Pokémon, but were not strong enough to control them. A young trainer who did have the strength to control their massive power rose from obscurity to defeat both teams and restore Kyogre and Groudon to their resting states inside Mt. Chimney and the Seafloor Cavern where they remain to this day. Those orbs are still in existence. Because of the power they possess, it is imperative that we keep them out of the wrong hands. That is why we’ll have you two as well as my apprentice Kimi patrolling the grounds.

Our top priority is guarding the orbs; Kimi will be placed in the gallery where they are being displayed.

Our next priority is that Former Champion May stays safe since she refused to take on more Pokémon once hers passed. This will fall to you, Scout. I want you with her at all times tonight, understand? And should disaster break out, you are to stay by her side.”

“Yes ma’am,” I responded.

General Lynn stared at me just a second too long for comfort before turning to Light and asking, “You have a flying type?”

Light nodded, “a Talonflame.”

“Then I want you to be outside patrolling the grounds from the air. You can land and patrol on foot if your Pokémon needs a break, but be constantly vigilant. Watch for any suspicious activity.”

Light nodded, “Sounds fun.”

“So long as nothing goes wrong,” the general agreed. “You three will have radios to stay in contact. Hopefully all will go well. I do believe that covers everything. Do you have any questions?”

Light and I both replied that no, we did not.

She nodded. “Sully, would you please go retrieve Kimi?”

The Mightyena got up with a huff and left the room. We sat in silence for a moment.

“Does your Eevee dislike its ball too?” Lynn suddenly addressed me.

I startled before responding, “Oh, uh, yeah. She broke out of it this morning and got into a fight with my Pidgeotto. They destroyed the room I was staying in at the Pokémon Centre.”

“Naughty type?” she asked with a knowing smirk.

I nodded.

She chuckled softly and nodded her head, “Sullivan too. I had my share of trouble with him in our youth. Fortunately his age has made him too lazy to act up.”

Just then, Kimi and Sullivan returned.

“Debriefing done?” the girl asked excitedly.

Lynn nodded. “Could you give them a tour of the grounds?”

“Of course! Leave it to me!”

Light and I stood to follow her.

“Scout?” Lynn called. I stopped and looked back. “Is this your first mission?”

I nodded and for a second I could see a strange look in the general’s eyes. Was it…doubt? But then it was gone and I was once again looking into her icy blue eyes.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I replied and ran out after my mentor and tour guide.

“So, Scout, is Mischief your only Pokémon?” she asked as I caught up.

I shook my head. “I also have a Pidgeotto named Angel. What about you? What Pokémon do you have?”

“I have a Pupitar named Avalanche and a Noivern named Echo,” she replied happily.

“When did you graduate?” I asked.

“Last year; I had only just got Echo when the guild system passed,” she answered. “What about you? When did you graduate?”

“Just a couple months ago,” I replied. “The guild system passed when I was just weeks away from receiving my starter.”

“That sucks,” she said, “I don’t know how I would have gotten through school without Echo.”

I shrugged. “I was pretty upset at first, but if I hadn’t gone to the guild school then I wouldn’t be who I am now.”

“That’s a good way of looking at it!” Kimi said thoughtfully.

Again we walked silently, though a lot more comfortably. I tried to think of something to say to fill the silence, but nothing came to mind. That is until we re-entered the main floor and passed the pompous jerk that hated Pokémon.

“I wonder if May would be very happy that they don’t let Pokémon in her library,” I said. “I would’ve thought they’d welcome them since she loved her Pokémon so much.”

“Actually,” Kimi said in a hushed tone, “I heard she didn’t like Pokémon at all and that she was really just using them as tools to gain fame and fortune. She’s not much of a hero if you ask me.”

My jaw dropped and I stopped walking, “Where the hell did you hear that!? Of course she loved her Pokémon!”

Kimi just shrugged. “It was on an old interview I saw once,” she replied as she continued walking ahead of me. “She said that she shouldn’t be idolized because she never actually really liked Pokémon at all and only used them as long as they served a purpose.”

I shook my head. There is no way May was just using her Pokémon…Of course she loved them…But doubt had been placed in my mind about my hero and it lingered there.  
“But I suppose that doesn’t really matter; it was old so there’s no telling how accurate it was,” the other girl continued, guessing she had upset me. I nodded, forcing the scowl off my face. Though when I looked at Light, I was sure he could tell what she said was still bothering me.

“Anyways, we should continue the tour! You already saw the basement, which is used for storage. This is the lobby, which connects the three main galleries. Come with me and I’ll show them to you,” Kimi said and began walking to the left archway.

The gallery beyond was mostly about May’s early years in Johto and the beginning of her journey in Hoenn. On display was her original PokeDex as well as models of her old house. There were also pictures of her and a Torchic standing beside a boy with a Mudkip. Both were smiling proudly. The centre gallery focused on her journey and battle with Teams Magma and Aqua, but it was currently closed as that was were the celebration would be taking place that night. The third gallery focused on her life after the battles and her reign as champion.

We spend the rest of the day wandering through the museum and gardens until we would be needed.

* * *

The celebration was beginning and people were arriving in front of the grand building. I took up my post where I was supposed to be introduced to Champion May. I was waiting for some time, but I couldn’t be bored. This gallary was even more extravagant than the others! It had a main floor with two upper balconies that wrapped around the entire room. The walls were lined with bookshelves broken only by windows and ornate tapestries depicting images of legendary Pokémon May had supposedly encountered. The rest of the area was dedicated to a large dance floor surrounded by displays of various stones and fossils. In the centre of the floor were two pedestals upon which sat the Red and Blue Orbs.

So beautiful were the stones that they drew the attention of the entire room. They seemed almost hypnotic. As I stared, I could feel the power radiating off of them. It was like they were calling to me, pulling me out of the large crowd that now filled the building and into some place far away…

“You have such fire in your eyes,” a calm voice beside me rasped, snapping my attention away from the stones to the elderly lady who sat solemnly in her wheelchair. “You remind me of myself back in my training days.”

“Champion May!” I startled.

“Former Champion,” she corrected with a smile. “Sorry to startle you.”

“Not at all! It’s an honour to meet you ma’am,” I babbled, extending my hand, “I’m Scout--I’m supposed to be your body guard this evening.”

May shook my hand and I had to prevent myself from squealing. May was my biggest hero growing up and now I was finally meeting her! And not just that, I was going to spend an entire evening with her!

“This library is amazing!” I said lamely, not really sure what else to say.

May chuckled, looking around. “It sure is. Though most of this stuff once belonged to my late husband Steven. The only things that are mine are those two stones you were admiring.”

As the party got into full swing, I had little time to talk to the former champion. Hundreds of people approached her and introduced themselves or congratulated her on her new library and yet something about her seemed off. It was like she was…sad. Loneliness filled her gaze even though she was surrounded by fans and admirers. I longed to say something, but knowing not what, I remained silent.

Finally, hours into the celebration, the people seemed to grow bored with the former champion and moved on to converse with their friends.  
“It is on occasions like this that I miss my husband the most,” May said quietly.

“Hm?” I hummed as I snapped back to attention. I had zoned out while watching Light from across the room. It was his turn inside and he was slowly patrolling the dancefloor, scanning it with careful eyes.

“Steven was my mentor too you know,” she said cheekily. I blushed and quickly looked away from the object of my gaze.

“I’m not -- I mean, Light’s a lot older than me. And he wouldn’t be interested anyways. I'm like a little sister to him.”

Laughing softly the elderly woman responded, “Steven was nearly fifteen years my senior. And it took me nearly dying to get his attention.”

“Really?” I asked, shocked. May nodded.

She was about to elaborate when the lights suddenly went dark. I quickly stepped in front of the former champion and desperately searched the dark for any signs of danger. However, as quickly as they had turned off, they flashed on again. I squinted while my eyes tried to adjust. When I could finally open them again, there was a figure cloaked in black standing in the middle of the floor between the two orbs. A pair of Koffing hovered at its sides.

Without warning or a word of command, the Pokémon released a strong Smokescreen that filled the dancefloor and nearly blacked out the lights. The guards could be heard shouting orders and the guests screamed in panic. I searched the room for Light, hoping he could give me some direction. I had no idea what I should be doing.

“Dear child, you must not let them get those orbs!” the former champion rasped, gripping my arm.

“What about you?” I asked. “You don’t have any Pokémon anymore so I was tasked with protecting you.”

“I guarantee they’re not here for me,” she reasoned grimly. “History is repeating itself and you must protect those orbs at all costs!”

I hesitated for one moment. Leaving my charge could have dire consequences, but she was right: we could not let these thieves get those orbs.

“Mischief!”

“Vee!” the little Eevee cried in determination as I released it from its ball.

“Angel!”

“Pidgeo!” the bird cried as it appeared in a flash of light.

“Let’s go you two!”

Together, the three of us ran into the Smokescreen.

“Angel! Use Whirlwind to keep the smog at bay!” The bird listened immediately and cleared an area in the centre of the attack, revealing two cloaked figures each holding an orb.  
“Mischief, use Covet! Get the Blue Orb,” I commanded.

The Eevee cutely approached the one figure who seemed transfixed by the little fox. Once in striking range, she lunged forward and knocked the stone out of her target’s hands.  
“Catch it Angel!” In a quick swoop, my bird Pokémon was holding orb. “Good! Now go back to controlling the Smokescreen.” The smog had already began to refill the clean space. Gripping the orb tightly, Angel complied.

I scanned the room for the other figure, but they were gone. Now the one Mischief had attacked was facing me with a Pokéball in hand.

“Mischief!” I called as they released it. The Eevee took up its battling pose in front of me as the bright light dispersed revealing a Weavile.

“Weavile, use Ice Beam,” the opposing figure commanded. Clearly a man’s voice.

“Dodge it and use Quick Attack!” I called and as the icy-blue beam shot toward my Eevee, she lunged out of the way and sped at her attacker. She made contact at full speed and sent the Weavile airborne. It easily corrected itself however, and landed on its feet.

“Now use Night Slash.”

"Wee," The dark Pokémon responded as it raised its claw and began to lunge towards Mischief, dark trails leading off of its claws.

"Evade it!" I called out. Mischief acted as fast as I gave the command, bouncing back and out of the way as the Weavile hit the ground hard with its one claw. The force of the attack cracked the marble floor. Just as I was about to call out a counter attack, the Weavile swung its other paw, hitting its mark and leaving a deep gouge in Mischief's side.

Now I was angry, and so was Mischief. "Mischief! Use take down!"

"Oooveee," she purred in approval. With a powerful kick off of her hind legs, Mischief slammed its body into the Weavile’s stomach. I could hear as the air was forced out of its lungs as the two hit the floor. True to its nature however, the Weavile quickly got up and put a fair distance between the two.

"Double team," the hooded figure called out.

The Weavile responded. I watched as the creature blurred away and then reappeared in several different places around my Eevee. Mischief looked around at each, caught off guard by the now several opponents.

I had to think. It was almost impossible to distinguish a copy from the real one. Almost. There was a split second where the real one would attack before the rest did. I had to bide my time and wait for him to make the best move and hope Mischief trusted me enough to do the same.

I couldn’t wait long though, and my opponent must have known that. Mischief was losing a lot of blood and was starting to slow down. I needed to end this. That’s when I remembered a trick I had heard about once; it was incredibly hard to pull off, but if Mischief could do it, it could save us.

I waited a few more seconds. I could see the frustration forming on Mischiefs face as I waited; she wanted me to call a command. All of the Weavile cracked a smirk, making Mischief all the more impatient to strike.

Finally the wait was up. My opponent called, "Weavile! Use Metal Claw!"

The many Weavile cooed in response to their trainer and I watched as they all leaped forward with their claws shimmering. Mischief began to take off towards a random one without a command from me when I called to her. "Not that one! Three over to the left! Use Take Down and Swift together!"

Mischief perked at my suggestion but didn't change her course towards the random one she had already chosen as her target.

No! Don't go off doing your own thing now! I thought in horror.

Just as the Eevee and the clone where about to make contact, Mischief pivoted and turned to face the unsuspecting target I had advised her to hit. Several stars formed around her as she charged. They shot forward the moment before her Take Down struck, adding to its power. Mischief slammed full force into the sharp claw Pokémon and sent it flying.  
Once again, the Weavile recovered mid-air, but as it landed next to its trainer, its whole body quivered and it fell to its knee as it held its stomach. The hooded man grimaced at its Pokémon’s condition then looked back up at me. Mischief was still standing strong while Angel now hovered by my side having defeated the Koffing and completely cleared the room of the Smokescreen.

He must have weighed the odds in his mind. Pulling out a Pokéball, he released a Noivern. Climbing onto its back, the pair shot through the roof with a well-timed Air Cutter, leaving the unconscious Weavile behind. When they were out of sight, Angel handed me the orb he still had clutched in his talons.

“Thank you Angel--you deserve a rest. You too Mischief--I’ll heal you as soon as I can,” I said as I recalled my two Pokémon. Mischief didn’t even argue as she disappeared in a flash of red. I then rushed to the abandoned Weavile. What do I do about this? Can I capture it? Who just leaves their injured Pokémon!?

Clapping sounded behind me. I whirled around to see Champion May rolling up to me in her wheelchair.

“Your battling matches the fire in those eyes,” she said approvingly.

“Champion May! I’m so sorry, I lost the Red Orb,” I said, bowing my head in shame.

“But you saved the blue one,” she responded, “and that poor Weavile, by the looks of it. Do you have an extra ball? Maybe it’s time I take on a new partner, unless you wish to take this one with you?”

I reached into my bag and pulled out an empty pokeball, handing it to the older woman.

“No! You capture it,” I said, “I think you may need its companionship more than I do.”

The former champion smiled, running her hands over the ball before throwing it. The Weavile disappeared in a flash of red, the ball shook once, then was still. I retrieved the ball and handed it to May.

“Now the Red Orb,” I began to say.

“I saw that mentor of yours go after it,” May said reassuringly. “He seems capable enough to retrieve it.”

I sighed in relief. She was right, if there was one person who could retrieve the Red Orb, it was Light.

I relaxed a bit and looked around. Where were all the guards? Not a single one was in sight. In fact, the only people left in the room were May and I.

“Where is everyone?” I asked. “Where are the guards?”

“I ordered them to evacuate the building,” May replied. “They would have just gotten in the way had they interfered with your battle.”

“What if I had lost!?” I cried.

The former champion chuckled. “That was a risk I was willing to take. Though I was sure you would be able to win.”

I was about to respond when Light and Axe entered through the new hole in the roof.

“Light!” I called happily. “Did you get the Red Orb back?”

His grim expression as he landed was enough of an answer. My shoulders drooped and I closed my eyes. It was my fault for letting them get away in the first place…

“Don’t blame yourself, child,” May comforted, placing a hand on my arm. I looked at her sadly before looking at Light who also seemed extremely disappointed with himself. “No. This was bound to happen eventually,” May continued. “Had it not been for you, both orbs would be lost and there would be little hope left. You both did well. In fact, Scout, I would like to pass on the Blue Orb to you.”

“Me!?” I said in shock, “but I just lost the other orb! How can you trust me with this one?”

“The orbs have been my responsibility since I was a young girl,” The former champion explained. “I should have passed them off when my dear Blaziken died and I did not take on another Pokémon. I felt they were under no threat, but I was grievously wrong and now the world is in peril. The responsibility of the orbs is now passed to you. I saw you fight; I know that you are capable of this task.”

I turned the orb over in my hands, feeling the power radiating off of it and yet it seemed…calming, like waves rolling on a beach at sunset. I returned my eyes to the elderly woman in front of me. “I will retrieve the Red Orb or die trying,” I promised.

Light stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You won’t be alone in this,” he said firmly. “I’m also to blame for its loss. We’ll retrieve it together.”

I looked at him with an appreciative smile.

“I am so sorry this must fall to you, my dear child,” May said sadly. “The road ahead of you is long and hard. Do not lose sight of who you are and do not be afraid to rely on your friends. And you, Light,” she grew serious, almost threatening. “Protect your apprentice. She is young and the world will try to ruin her. If you are not careful, it may just succeed as it did with me.”

Light nodded, “I will so long as she allows me to.”

“Good. Now you two should go and return to your guild. Keep training and grow stronger. You will need every bit of strength you can acquire in the coming months.”

Light and I nodded and said goodbye. However, as we were leaving a thought popped into my head.

“Champion May!” I called, turning around to face her one again. Light stopped as well. “Someone told me that you didn’t care about your Pokémon and that you only used them as tools. They were wrong, right?”

The former champion chuckled humourlessly and her eyes clouded over as though she was recalling something in the distant past. “I thought the world had forgotten about that,” she muttered softly. “I loved my Pokémon like family. Goodbye dear Scout. I have a feeling we’ll meet again.”

I gave a slight bow, “Thank you, Champion May.”

With that, Light and I walked out of the building into the crisp night air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!  
> I'll see you next time with Chapter 12 - Rogue


	13. Chapter 12 - Rogue

When we got back to the guild, it was like nothing had changed, but at the same time everything had. I had fought my first real battle, and though I had won, it still wasn’t good enough. I would have to get stronger. I needed to retrieve the other orb!

It had been a week since our mission at the May Stone library and the failed mission had been on every news station internationally. They thought it was safest to say both orbs had been stolen in order to protect the location of the second one—the one I carried. It was mortifying to return to the guild. No one said anything outright, but we heard whispers as we left the common room or passed other guild members in the halls. Even the students would stare and whisper.

I longed for the company of my friends, but though I was renting a room from the guild along with Anne and Enkay, they were away on missions so the loneliness was even more intense. I dreaded going back to my empty room at night and would often stay at Light’s guild apartment, falling asleep on the couch (though I usually woke up in his bed, with Light sleeping on the couch). During the days, Light and I spent a lot of time hidden away deep in the gardens, training to make my team stronger. People noticed and it gave them more of a reason to talk. It was driving Light crazy.

Tonight, however, would finally be a welcome break.

My mum insisted on hosting a barbeque in celebration of the completion my first mission. I think she was really just trying to cheer me up. I didn’t think I deserved it, but it would be nice to be back home for a couple days, surrounded by people who don’t scorn me behind my back.

Light and I set out in the morning and made it to my parent’s home in Odale Town by early afternoon. Anne and Enkay would arrive later in the afternoon, after they returned from their mission.

We were barely in sight of the house when my little brothers burst through the door, calling my name. They both crashed into me, wrapping their arms around my waist. Travis, the older of the two, noticed Mischief on my shoulder and gasped.

“Is that your new Pokémon!?” he asked excitedly.

Dawson also looked up to see her.

“Awe! It’s an Eevee! He’s so cute! Can we pet him!?” he asked, reaching to pet her.

“Her,” I corrected as I took Mischief off my shoulder and handed her to Travis.

He immediately cuddled into her soft fur and whispered, “I love Eevee.”

“What did you name him?” Dawson asked, scratching her behind the ears.

“Mischief, and it’s a her” I said.

“I love Mischief!” Dawson said without turning away from the Eevee, who was loving every second of the attention.

“Can we show her to mum?” Travis asked.

“Go ahead,” I replied. “She’d probably enjoy racing you back home.”

Mischief jumped to the ground crying, “Eeeve!” before taking off running.

“That’s not fair! You got a head start!” Travis cried as he and Dawson ran after her.

“Vee Vee!” Mischief called back and kept running.

I sighed. “I miss those kids,” I told Light.

“They’re good kids,” he agreed. “And maybe they can wear out some of Mischief’s energy.”

“Maybe she can wear out some of their energy,” I quipped back as we kept walking.

When we made it to the house, my siblings were fawning over Mischief while my mum fed her treats. I sighed again and Light said, “she’s already got them wrapped around her little paw.”

“Mum, you shouldn’t give her so many treats,” I said, “it’s not good for her.”

Mischief looked at me like I had called her mother a Muk. My mum laughed.

“Oh, but she likes them,” Mum said, feeding her another one and standing up. Mischief happily munched the treat and turned back to my brothers and sister, who continued to tell her how cute she was.

Like she needs that ego boost…

“Don’t worry,” my mum said in a hushed voice as she hugged me, “those are the health-food ones I give to the Absol kits.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Light said. “She’ll never accept another treat from you again.”

My mum laughed an turned to him.

“How are you Light?” she asked as she pulled him into a hug.

“I’m alright,” he said.

Mum pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “You just take care of yourself with everything that’s going on.”

“I will,” he promised.

My mum nodded slowly before turning to me, suddenly changing moods.

“I have a surprise for you!”

“Oh?” I asked.

“Come with me!” she said before turning and walking into the house. I turned to call Mischief, but she was happily playing tug-of-war with Travis and Dawson. Alice was taking photos with her phone, likely to post on her PokeGram.

“I’ll be right back, Mischief,” I called.

“Vee!” she responded, dropping her side of the rope. My brothers fell backwards at the sudden lack of force. She immediately pounced on Travis, licking his face as he giggled hysterically. When Dawson tried to grab her, she jumped off, ran a few paces away and dropped into a play-bow, daring them to chase her.

I released Angel. “Could you keep an eye on them?”

“Pigeo!”

“Thanks,” I replied and followed my mum and Light into the house.

“Abby’s litter hatched yesterday,” mum was saying.

I gasped, “Absol kits!?”

My mum had been an Absol breeder since I was a small child and kit season was always my favourite.

“Come and see them,” she said, entering the kit nursery.

Inside were four Absol kits chasing each other and wrestling around. Pokémon generally mature very quickly and are usually pretty independent of their mother within a day or two of hatching.

The kits stopped what they were doing when we entered and ran over to investigate. I crouched down and let them sniff my hands before petting them all in turn.

“We reserved the pick of the litter for you as a congratulations on completing your first mission!” Mum said.

“Really!?” I asked, looking between the four kits. “Which one?”

“I’ll go get her,” I mum replied. “The others don’t like her very much, so I moved her and Abby away from them so she could have some one on one time.”

I looked at her in confusion. Normally the pick of the litter is the strongest and most respected by its littermates. She just smiled and left the room.

“Wonder why they don’t like her,” I said to Light as I turned back the Absol kits.

Light shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you—maybe they’re jealous.”

When my mum returned, kit in hand and Abby at her heel, I gasped. The little Absol had ruby skin against snow white fur and the most beautiful turquoise eyes. She looked like she had just woken from a nap.

I began tearing up as my mum handed her to me. “Mum, she’s beautiful!”

Light stepped up beside me and examined the kit in amazement. “I’ve never actually seen a shiny in person,” he said. “She must be worth a small fortune!”

Suddenly I felt guilty. “You can’t give her to me!” I argued. “You and dad could really use the money! And the mission was a complete failure!”

“Your dad and I talked about it and we wanted you to have her – a bit of home to protect you on your journeys,” Mum said.

I teared up more as I embraced her in a tight hug.

“Thank you so much!” I cried.

“You’re very welcome,” my mum said.

“I’m going to go introduce her to Mischief,” I said, pulling back from the hug and snuggling my new Absol kit.

I walked back through the house, calling for Mischief. She completely ignored me of course and I eventually found her running around with Travis and Dawson in the back yard. Angel perched in my parent’s apple tree, keeping a close eye on things.

“Mischief! Angel! We have a new member of the party!” I said as I exited the house.

Angel immediately flew over to investigate while my mum told my brothers to come inside and give the Pokémon some room to be introduced. Mischief hesitated.

“Come here,” I encouraged, extending a hand to her.

She approached slowly, sniffing the air as she went. She stopped in front of me, sniffed the Absol, then turned to me with a hurt and unsure expression.

“Come here,” I said again, placing my new Pokémon down in front of Angel and picking Mischief up. I tucked her under my chin, exactly as I had done the day she hatched.

“You’ll always be my special starter. You aren’t being replaced,” I reassured. “Now we just have another friend to train and get stronger with!”

Mischief nodded, snuggled in a little closer, then jumped down to sniff noses with our new partner.

“Vee?”

“Sol,” the Asbsol cooed.

“Eevee!” Mischief cried and ran a few step away, looking back for the Absol to follow.

It looked at her, tilting its head, then looked at me.

“Go on,” I encouraged.

The Absol turned and slowly followed.

“That was well handled,” Light said. I turned and he was standing in the doorway.

“Hm?”

“Mischief,” he clarified. “You handled that insecurity perfectly.”

“Thanks,” I said, not really sure what else to say.

“Let’s go inside,” he said. “Your mum is making lunch and I’m starving.”

I looked back at Mischief and the Absol. Mischief looked up, sensing my gaze. I narrowed my eyes.

“Angel, keep an eye on them…” I said loud enough for Mischief to hear. “Make sure Mischief doesn’t teach the baby any…bad habits.”

Mischief looks at me innocently.

“You heard me!” I called to her across the yard.

Angel flew over to perch on the fence, taking his job as babysitter very seriously.

* * *

Enkay and Anne arrived just after lunch and we had some time to catch up before everyone else arrived. We hadn’t seen them since before the library mission and they were eager to hear what actually happened.

“Damn dude,” Enkay said as Light and I finished our story, “what are you going to do now?”

“We keep getting stronger and go after the Red Orb,” Light said.

“I think we’re going to travel, taking on guilds, and use that as a cover to try and find whoever stole it,” I said.

“That’s a good idea. You could probably take on Rustboro and Dewford right away,” Anne said. “I’ve already got both those badges, though Rustboro was tough with only Luka and the Ponyta my parents gave me and I had to catch a Rufflet to help with Dewford.”

“Rustboro might be difficult with my current team,” I said thoughtfully, “but Dewford shouldn’t pose much of an issue…and Mischief already knows Dig, so Mauville shouldn’t be too bad either.”

“I have an Icebeam TM we could use on your new Absol,” Light chimed in. “Then you’d have a type advantage over Rustboro, but we’ll have to take some time to get her trained up.”

I nodded. “We’ll do that.”

“Do you have the Blue Orb with you?” Enkay asked.

“Yeah. I keep it with me at all times,” I said, pulling the softball-sized orb out of my bag and handing it to her.

She turned it over in her hands, feeling the same, cool, calming lure it had on me when I first saw it in the library.

“We’ll come with you,” she said, handing it back. “Whoever took the other one may show up and this orb should have as much protection as possible.”

“Thank you,” I replied, relief and affection washing over me. “I’ll need all the help I can get.”

Suddenly there was a crash, a shriek, and another crash followed by Mischief’s indignant yelling. I immediately jumped up and ran outside.

“Mischief, hold!” I yelled as I burst out into the yard. The Swift attack faded before she had the chance to release it. “What the hell are you two doing this time!?”

Angel had Mischief pinned to the ground and Mischief had been seconds away from retaliating with Swift. The little Absol stood nearby, eyes wide. Angel hopped off of Mischief and fluffed his feathers indignantly. I looked around and saw several holes in the yard and flowers scattered everywhere.

“Mischief, you didn’t,” I said to the little fox Pokémon, who gave me the cutest, most innocent look she could muster.

“Don’t even try it,” I snipped. “Your Baby-Doll Eyes stopped working on me the day after you hatched.”

The Eevee shrugged and returned to her usual smug look.

“Did you teach the baby how to use Dig, then dig up my mother’s garden?” I asked, trying to be patient.

Mischief shook her head as Angel nodded.

I sighed and muttered, “why are you like this?”

“Vee,” she huffed and looked away.

“In your balls, all three of you,” I said, recalling Angel and pulling out a spare Pokeball for the baby. The two Pokemon disappeared in a flash of red.

Mischief cried indignantly and dodged her beam.

“Yes, you too! Think of it as a time out for destroying the garden,” I said. “You can come out once we are done cleaning up and I don’t have to worry about you causing more trouble before the party.”

Sighing, she accepted her fate and I recalled her.

Fortunately, the neighbor had a Bellossom and a Torterra that were able to help us reconstruct the garden and yard before the other guests started arriving.

* * *

Most of my extended family and much of the neighborhood showed up at the party. Everything went well—or mostly well, anyway.

The cantankerous old man from a few doors down made an appearance—probably only to stir up trouble and get some free food and beer.

A few hours into the evening, I was sitting at the fire, listening to Enkay retell stories of her travels to the neighborhood children when I heard some yelling from inside. Enkay stopped talking and looked up at me questioningly.

“Keep the kidlettes entertained,” I said. “I’m gonna go see what’s going on. Come on Mischief.”

The little fox jumped out of the hands of one of the children and followed me.

Inside the house, the old crow was snarling in Light’s face, “…wouldn’t be in this situation if you spent less time f***ing that pretty little apprentice of yours and had actually done your job!”

Light’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“What’s going on?” I asked cautiously.

“And you!” he screamed, rounding on me. “You’re just as guilty! You may only be an apprentice, but if you can’t do your job, then you don’t deserve that Pokémon on your shoulder!”

Mischief growled.

“Leave her alone, you crazy old crow,” Light snapped.

“You’re both a disgrace to this town!”

By that point my parents had also heard the commotion and came into the room.

“In my day, I knew children worth ten of you!”

My dad stepped forward and grabbed the grumpy old man. “Mr. Lemko, it’s time for you to leave.”

“You should be ashamed to call this waste of skin your daughter. I’d spare what little honour my family had left and disown the little whore if I were you!”

“That’s enough,” my dad said tightly. “Either you leave, or I call the police. I won’t ask again.”

“Tch! The food tastes like shit anyways!” he yelled, spitting at my father’s feet before loudly exiting the house.

“Why was he invited?” I asked.

“He wasn’t,” my mum said while my dad was disbanding the crowd that had gathered. “I just felt bad kicking him out when he hadn’t really done anything. I’m sorry. Are you guys alright?”

“We’ll be fine,” I said. “I expect we’ll be getting a lot of that in the coming months.”

I turned to Light to see if he was okay.

“Come on,” Light said, “Let’s go for a ride. I need to cool off.”

I gave my mum an apologetic smile as I pulled Mischief off my shoulder and jogged after Light. He stalked through the yard and called out his Sawsbuck. The Pokémon greeted his trainer.

“Hey Ranger, may we go for a ride?” Light asked softly, despite his anger. The deer bumped him with its nose before laying down. Light mounted and offered me a hand. I accepted and pulled myself onto Ranger’s back behind my mentor.

“Just take us into the forest somewhere,” Light told the Pokémon, who bounded into a run. It didn’t take long for us to be a fair distance outside of the town.  
The Sawsbuck stopped of his own accord beside a small lake. We thanked the Pokémon and dismounted so he could drink from the lake. Sitting on the cool grass, we were able to breath. I pet Mischief absentmindedly as I looked out over the calm water.

“I’m sorry to pull you away from your party,” Light finally said.

“No, it’s alright. This is nice too.”

“I also have something for you, by the way,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out two items. “Or I guess for Mischief and Angel.”

Mischief’s ears perked and she looked excitedly for her present. He laughed a little and handed me a pink bow that I clipped in front of one of her ears.

“Do you like it?” I asked.

“Vee!”

I called Angel out of his ball and Light handed me a blue bandana. The bird looked at me curiously.

“Light has gifts for you two for completing our first mission!” I explained and tied the bandana around his neck. He nibbled it for a second, then puffed proudly.

“Thank you Light,” I said, petting Angel’s soft feathers. “They look great.”

“Congratulations on completing your first mission, even if it didn’t end very well,” he responded. “I promise you we’ll get that orb back.”

I nodded.

“Yeah, me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'd really appreciate it if you left a comment! I'm okay with criticism, compliments, and questions.  
> I'll see you all next time with Chapter 13 - Growth and Hard Work!
> 
> Stay Safe!


End file.
